ServSafe Certification HACCP: The Seven Principles for Food Safety 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which HACCP principle involves establishing the limits that must be met to prevent, eliminate, or reduce the occurrence of a food safety hazard?
- Hazard analysis
- Critical limits (Correct answer)
- Corrective actions
- Verification
Correct answer: Critical limits
Critical limits (Principle 3) define the maximum or minimum values to which a biological, chemical, or physical parameter must be controlled to prevent a hazard.
Question 2: A food manager discovers the internal temperature of cooked chicken reached only 160°F instead of the required 165°F. Which HACCP principle guides what the manager does next?
- Hazard analysis
- Monitoring procedures
- Corrective actions (Correct answer)
- Record keeping
Correct answer: Corrective actions
Corrective actions (Principle 5) specify what must be done when monitoring indicates a critical limit has not been met.
Question 3: In a HACCP plan, what is the purpose of a corrective action?
- To train employees on food safety
- To restore control and prevent unsafe food from reaching consumers (Correct answer)
- To document temperature logs
- To identify new hazards in the process
Correct answer: To restore control and prevent unsafe food from reaching consumers
Corrective actions are taken when monitoring shows a deviation from a critical limit, ensuring unsafe food is not served and control is restored.
Question 4: Which document provides proof that the HACCP system is working as intended and critical limits are being met?
- Employee training records
- HACCP records and documentation (Correct answer)
- Supplier invoices
- Pest control logs
Correct answer: HACCP records and documentation
Record keeping (Principle 7) provides written evidence that monitoring, corrective actions, and verification activities are being performed as required.
Question 5: What is the minimum internal cooking temperature that serves as a critical limit for whole muscle beef steaks cooked in a restaurant?
- 135°F (57°C)
- 145°F (63°C) (Correct answer)
- 155°F (68°C)
- 165°F (74°C)
Correct answer: 145°F (63°C)
Whole muscle beef steaks must reach a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) for 15 seconds to eliminate pathogens.
Question 6: During HACCP verification, a food safety manager reviews temperature logs from the past week. This activity is an example of which verification method?
- Calibrating thermometers
- Auditing records (Correct answer)
- Conducting a hazard analysis
- Establishing critical limits
Correct answer: Auditing records
Auditing records is a common verification activity that confirms monitoring was conducted correctly and critical limits were met.
Question 7: Which of the following is a biological hazard that a HACCP hazard analysis must consider for raw poultry?
- Metal fragments from equipment
- Salmonella contamination (Correct answer)
- Excessive salt in seasoning
- Allergen cross-contact from nuts
Correct answer: Salmonella contamination
Salmonella is a biological hazard commonly associated with raw poultry and must be identified during the hazard analysis step.
ServSafe Certification HACCP: The Seven Principles for Food Safety 2
Which HACCP principle involves establishing the limits that must be met to prevent, eliminate, or reduce the occurrence of a food safety hazard?