Free ServSafe Exam Flashcards

Disease transmitted through food. Caused by pathogens (bacteria, viruses, parasites) or toxins. Symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever. High-risk populations: elderly, young children, pregnant women, immunocompromised (YOPI).

Report diagnoses of Salmonella Typhi, nontyphoidal Salmonella, Shigella spp., Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, hepatitis A, or norovirus to the PIC. The PIC notifies the authority. Exclusion versus restriction depends on illness, symptoms, and the population served.

Nontyphoidal Salmonella can contaminate poultry, eggs, produce, and other foods. Prevent it through approved sourcing, cross-contamination control, safe cooking, and employee health policies. Poultry needs 165°F instantaneous; incubation varies.

Highly contagious virus spread through contaminated food, hands, surfaces, and vomit or feces. Prevention includes handwashing, employee illness controls, and appropriate cleanup/disinfection. Symptoms usually begin 12–48 hours after exposure.

A Shiga toxin-producing E. coli strain associated with undercooked ground beef and contaminated produce. It can cause bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome. Cook ground beef to 155°F for 17 seconds and prevent cross-contamination.

Virus attacking the liver. Spread through fecal-oral route, contaminated food/water. Prevention: proper handwashing, exclude infected workers, cook shellfish properly. Can survive on surfaces for months.

41°F to 135°F (5°C to 57°C) is the training danger-zone range. Keep cold TCS food at 41°F or below and hot food at 135°F or above. Approved time-control procedures have specific starting temperatures, markings, and four- or six-hour limits.

Occurs when food stays in the Temperature Danger Zone too long. Causes: food not cooked to proper temperature, not held correctly, not cooled properly. Prevention: monitor temperatures, follow time limits.

Poultry/stuffed foods: 165°F instantaneous. Ground nonpoultry meat: 155°F/17 seconds. Seafood, steaks/chops, eggs served immediately: 145°F/15 seconds. Roasts: e.g., 145°F/4 minutes. Plants for hot holding: 135°F. On-site cooked/cooled leftovers for hot holding: 165°F/15 seconds within two hours.

Cool food from 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, then from 70°F to 41°F within 4 more hours. Total cooling time: 6 hours maximum. Methods: ice bath, shallow pans, ice paddles, blast chiller.

Thaw under refrigeration at 41°F or below; under running water at 70°F or below subject to food-temperature/time limits; in a microwave immediately followed by cooking; or as part of cooking. Never thaw on the counter. Remove qualifying reduced-oxygen-packaged fish from packaging as directed before/during thawing.

Maintain hot TCS food at 135°F or above. Check at least every four hours; checking every two hours gives an earlier opportunity for approved corrective action. Reheat on-site cooked/cooled food to 165°F/15 seconds within two hours before holding; commercially processed packaged RTE food may be heated to 135°F.

Time/Temperature Control for Safety. Foods requiring time and temperature control to prevent pathogen growth. Include: meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, cooked rice/pasta, cut melons, cut tomatoes, sprouts, garlic in oil.

Foods consumed without further cooking: salads, deli meats, bread, washed fruit. Never touch with bare hands—use gloves, tongs, deli paper. High risk for contamination since no kill step.

Molluscan shellfish require approved source identification. Keep the tag with the container until empty, mark the last sale/service date, and retain source records for 90 calendar days from that date. Maintain traceback links; this is not a rule for all seafood.

Five steps: 1) Wet hands with warm water. 2) Apply soap. 3) Scrub for 10-15 seconds (hands, arms, under nails). 4) Rinse thoroughly. 5) Dry with single-use towel. Total time: 20+ seconds.

Before starting work, handling food, putting on gloves. After: using restroom, touching body/face, sneezing/coughing, handling raw meat, taking out garbage, handling chemicals, touching dirty surfaces, eating/smoking/drinking.

Use single-use gloves or suitable utensils to avoid bare-hand contact with RTE food. Wash hands as required before gloving. Change gloves when soiled, torn, interrupted, or changing tasks; never wash/reuse them. Gloves do not replace handwashing.

Wear clean clothing and effective hair restraints. The Food Code prohibits hand/arm jewelry except a plain ring. Keep nails trimmed and clean; polish/artificial nails require intact gloves when working with exposed food. Non-slip closed-toe shoes are workplace safety practice.

Report vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, sore throat with fever, infected wounds, Big Six diagnoses, and qualifying exposures. Exclude vomiting/diarrhea unless medically documented noninfectious. Sore throat with fever: restrict for general service, exclude for HSP service. Cover wounds properly; follow illness-specific return rules.

Transfer of pathogens from one surface/food to another. Types: Direct (raw meat touching cooked), Indirect (via hands, equipment, surfaces). Prevention: separate storage, dedicated equipment, proper cleaning.

Top to bottom by cooking temperature: Ready-to-eat foods (top), then seafood (145°F), whole cuts of beef/pork (145°F), ground meat (155°F), poultry (165°F - bottom). Prevents dripping onto lower-temp foods.

A local color-coding system can help separate raw and RTE tasks. Train everyone in the operation’s chosen colors; there is no universal Food Code color mandate. Wash, rinse, sanitize, and air-dry equipment as required.

Foreign objects in food: glass, metal, hair, bandages, jewelry, fingernails. Prevention: hair restraints, no jewelry, proper equipment maintenance, careful can opening, covered bandages with gloves.

Chemicals getting into food: sanitizers, cleaners, pesticides, toxic metals. Prevention: store chemicals away from food, label all containers, use food-grade equipment, never store food in galvanized containers (acidic foods + zinc = toxic).

Cleaning: removes visible dirt and food particles. Sanitizing: reduces pathogens to safe levels. Both required—clean first, then sanitize. Cleaning alone doesn't kill bacteria; sanitizing alone doesn't remove soil.

Scrape first. Wash in detergent solution at least 110°F unless the cleaner label specifies another temperature; rinse; sanitize per label or immerse in water at least 171°F for 30 seconds; air-dry.

Use the registered product label and applicable code for concentration, pH, temperature, water hardness, and contact time. Iodine commonly uses 12.5–25 ppm at 68°F or above; quat concentration is label-specific. Chlorine temperature/pH/concentration combinations control whether a seven-second contact option applies.

Use the test kit designed for that sanitizer. Check freshly made solution and recheck during use under the operation’s procedure; remake dirty or out-of-range solution. A single universal testing interval is not specified for every product.

Surfaces that directly contact food, or can transfer drips to it. Clean and sanitize between raw and RTE tasks, when contaminated, and generally at least every four hours during continuous TCS-food use; specific code exceptions exist.

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point. Systematic approach to food safety. Seven principles: 1) Analyze hazards, 2) Identify CCPs, 3) Establish critical limits, 4) Monitor CCPs, 5) Corrective actions, 6) Verification, 7) Record-keeping.

Step where control can be applied to prevent, eliminate, or reduce hazard. Examples: cooking (kills pathogens), holding (prevents growth), refrigeration (slows growth). Must be monitored with critical limits.

Manager's responsibility to control foodborne illness risk factors. Includes: proper personal hygiene, proper cooking temps, preventing contamination, using approved suppliers, maintaining equipment.

Food defense protects against intentional contamination. ALERT: Assure supplies are safe; Look after product security; know Employees/access; keep Reports on controls; act on Threats. Isolate suspect food and contact authorities; preserve evidence.

Most cold TCS foods: 41°F or below. Shell eggs: ambient air 45°F or below. Live shellfish: air ≤45°F/internal ≤50°F. Milk/shucked shellfish may arrive at ≤45°F under applicable rules; cool accepted exceptions to 41°F within four hours. Frozen food must remain frozen.

Reject food with: wrong temperature, damaged packaging, pest evidence, abnormal color/texture/odor, expired dates, missing documentation. Document rejection. Return to delivery driver.

Stock rotation method. Older products placed in front, used first. New deliveries go to back. Prevents spoilage and waste. Check dates regularly. Mark items with received date.

Keep dry storage clean, dry, ventilated, and protected from pests. A 50–70°F range is a quality recommendation, not a universal Food Code limit. Store food at least six inches above the floor unless a code exception applies; follow product instructions.

Droppings, gnaw marks, nesting materials, tracks/grease marks, live/dead pests, damaged food packaging, unusual odors. Regular inspections essential. Report immediately to management/PCO.

Comprehensive pest prevention approach. Three rules: 1) Deny access (seal gaps, self-closing doors), 2) Deny food/water/shelter (clean up, proper storage), 3) Work with licensed PCO for treatment.

Licensed professional for pest management. Only PCO should apply pesticides in food establishment. Keep records of all treatments. Inform PCO of any pest sightings between visits.

Dedicated, accessible sink with running water at least 85°F under the 2022 Food Code, soap, approved drying, and handwashing signage. Provide a waste container when disposable towels are used. Do not use the sink for food preparation, warewashing, or waste disposal.

Adequate lighting for safety and cleanliness. Minimum: 50 foot-candles in prep areas, 20 foot-candles in handwashing/warewashing, 10 foot-candles in walk-ins/dry storage. Shielded/shatter-resistant bulbs in food areas.

An air gap separates a potable-water outlet from a fixture’s flood-level rim: at least twice the outlet diameter and at least one inch. Other approved devices must suit the connection and be maintained/tested as required.

An interceptor removes fats, oils, and grease from wastewater. Install where plumbing rules require it and keep it accessible. Clean often enough to prevent buildup and backups; local rules and the equipment determine the schedule.

The nine major U.S. food allergens are milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. Molluscan shellfish can also cause allergy but are not in the federal Crustacean-shellfish category.

Allergen cross-contact transfers allergenic protein into another food. Use verified ingredients and clean, separate tools/areas; wash hands and change gloves. Cooking cannot be relied on to remove allergen risk. Sanitizer alone does not remove protein residue.

Take all requests seriously—can be life-threatening. Check ingredients/recipes, prevent cross-contact, inform kitchen, use clean equipment, deliver separately. When in doubt, don't serve the item. Know emergency procedures.

Cooperate with the regulator, accompany the inspection, and correct findings. The FDA model groups provisions as priority, priority foundation, and core. Local inspection terminology, scoring, and follow-up deadlines may differ.

Food handler training covers basic employee practices; Manager certification assesses supervisory knowledge. Required credentials, accepted programs, deadlines, exemptions, and validity depend on state/local rules and the job.