ACF Sanitation & Safety Procedures 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is the correct method for thawing frozen food?
- On the counter at room temperature overnight
- Under cool running water below 70°F (21°C) (Correct answer)
- In a microwave and then refrigerated until needed
- Submerged in standing warm water
Correct answer: Under cool running water below 70°F (21°C)
Thawing under running water at or below 70°F (21°C) keeps food out of the danger zone while safely defrosting it.
Question 2: A cook notices a pest dropping near a dry storage area. The correct first response is to:
- Place traps and continue normal operations
- Report the finding to a manager and document it (Correct answer)
- Apply pesticide from the kitchen supply cabinet
- Move all dry goods to a different shelf
Correct answer: Report the finding to a manager and document it
Pest sightings must be documented and reported to management so a licensed pest control operator can be contacted.
Question 3: Which foodborne illness is associated with eating raw or undercooked shellfish harvested from contaminated waters?
- Listeriosis
- Vibrio vulnificus infection (Correct answer)
- Botulism
- Trichinosis
Correct answer: Vibrio vulnificus infection
Vibrio vulnificus is a naturally occurring marine bacterium that concentrates in shellfish and can cause severe illness.
Question 4: The purpose of a sneeze guard on a buffet line is to:
- Maintain food at the correct temperature
- Prevent physical contamination from customers (Correct answer)
- Meet fire code requirements
- Display pricing and menu items
Correct answer: Prevent physical contamination from customers
Sneeze guards (food shields) create a barrier between customers and exposed food to prevent contamination from coughs, sneezes, and touching.
Question 5: When calibrating a bimetallic stemmed thermometer using the ice-point method, the thermometer should read:
- 28°F (-2°C)
- 32°F (0°C) (Correct answer)
- 36°F (2°C)
- 40°F (4°C)
Correct answer: 32°F (0°C)
An ice-water slurry (50% ice, 50% water) is at 32°F (0°C), the correct calibration reference for the ice-point method.
Question 6: Which of the following chemical hazards is most likely to occur when acidic foods are stored in reactive metal containers?
- Pesticide leaching
- Heavy metal contamination (Correct answer)
- Chlorine off-gassing
- Cross-contamination from sanitizers
Correct answer: Heavy metal contamination
Acidic foods stored in containers made of copper, zinc, or lead can leach heavy metals into the food, causing chemical poisoning.
Question 7: Under FDA Food Code, ready-to-eat TCS foods prepared in-house must be date-marked and used or discarded within:
- 3 days
- 5 days
- 7 days (Correct answer)
- 10 days
Correct answer: 7 days
Ready-to-eat TCS foods held under refrigeration must be consumed or discarded within 7 days of preparation.
ACF Sanitation & Safety Procedures 4
Which of the following is the correct method for thawing frozen food?