Free ServSafe The Flow of Food: Purchasing, Receiving, and Storage Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the maximum acceptable receiving temperature for cold TCS (Time/Temperature Control for Safety) food?
- 32°F (0°C)
- 41°F (5°C) (Correct answer)
- 45°F (7°C)
- 50°F (10°C)
Correct answer: 41°F (5°C)
Cold TCS food, such as meat and dairy, must be received at 41°F (5°C) or lower to prevent the growth of harmful microorganisms. Temperatures above this indicate the food has been in the temperature danger zone for too long.
Question 2: Which of the following is a valid reason to reject a shipment of canned goods?
- The label is slightly crooked.
- The can has a paper label.
- The can has a swollen top or bottom. (Correct answer)
- The delivery truck is not refrigerated.
Correct answer: The can has a swollen top or bottom.
Canned goods should be rejected if they show signs of damage like severe dents (especially on the seams), rust, or swollen tops or bottoms. These can be indicators of botulism or other contamination.
Question 3: What is the correct top-to-bottom storage order for the following items in a refrigerator: raw ground beef, raw chicken breasts, a whole salmon, and a lettuce salad?
- Chicken, ground beef, salmon, lettuce
- Lettuce, salmon, ground beef, chicken (Correct answer)
- Salmon, lettuce, chicken, ground beef
- Lettuce, chicken, ground beef, salmon
Correct answer: Lettuce, salmon, ground beef, chicken
Food should be stored based on its minimum internal cooking temperature to prevent cross-contamination. Ready-to-eat food (lettuce) goes on top, followed by seafood (salmon), whole cuts of meat, ground meat (beef), and finally poultry (chicken) on the bottom.
Question 4: Ready-to-eat TCS food prepared in-house must be date-marked if it is held for longer than:
- 12 hours
- 48 hours
- 24 hours (Correct answer)
- 72 hours
Correct answer: 24 hours
Any ready-to-eat TCS food that is prepared on-site and held for more than 24 hours must be labeled with the date it was prepared or the date by which it must be sold, eaten, or thrown out. This helps ensure food is consumed before pathogens can grow to unsafe levels.
Question 5: Foodservice operations should only purchase food from suppliers who are:
- Willing to deliver after hours.
- The least expensive.
- Local to the operation.
- Approved and reputable. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Approved and reputable.
To ensure food safety, all food must be purchased from approved, reputable suppliers. These suppliers are inspected and meet all applicable local, state, and federal laws, reducing the risk of receiving unsafe food.
Question 6: When receiving a delivery of live shellfish, they must have a shellstock identification tag. How long must this tag be kept on file after the last shellfish from the container is used?
- 30 days
- 60 days
- 90 days (Correct answer)
- 120 days
Correct answer: 90 days
The shellstock identification tag must remain on the container until all the shellfish have been used. After the last shellfish is used, the tag must be kept on file for 90 days to help trace the source in case of a foodborne illness outbreak.
Free ServSafe The Flow of Food: Purchasing, Receiving, and Storage Questions and Answers 1
What is the maximum acceptable receiving temperature for cold TCS (Time/Temperature Control for Safety) food?