Purchasing and Inventory Flashcards

What is the primary purpose of setting par levels in a foodservice inventory system?

Answer: To establish minimum stock quantities that trigger reordering

Par levels define the minimum quantity of an item that should be on hand; when stock falls to par, a reorder is triggered to prevent stockouts.

Raw fish received for sushi service must be previously frozen to kill parasites. According to FDA guidelines, which freezing protocol is sufficient?

Answer: -31°F (-35°C) for 15 hours or -4°F (-20°C) for 7 days

FDA requires fish for raw consumption to be frozen at -31°F (-35°C) for 15 hours or at -4°F (-20°C) for 7 days to destroy parasites.

Which storage practice poses the greatest risk of cross-contamination in a dry storeroom?

Answer: Placing ready-to-eat crackers below raw flour on the same shelf

Ready-to-eat foods stored below ingredients like raw flour risk contamination from spills or dust falling from above.

A foodservice manager discovers that a supplier has been delivering produce without the required certificates of analysis. The manager should:

Answer: Immediately cease purchases and notify the regulatory authority

Using a supplier that cannot provide required documentation violates food safety regulations and purchases should cease immediately.

When receiving shellfish, which document must accompany the delivery and be retained for 90 days?

Answer: Shellfish shippers tag

FDA requires shellfish shippers tags to be retained for 90 days from the date the last shellfish from that container was sold or served.

Which inventory valuation method assigns the cost of the most recently purchased items to the cost of goods sold first?

Answer: LIFO (Last In, First Out)

LIFO assumes the last items purchased are the first sold, which affects cost reporting especially during periods of rising food prices.

A temperature log shows that a walk-in cooler holding TCS foods reached 55°F for an unknown duration overnight. The manager should:

Answer: Discard all TCS foods that cannot be verified as safe

When TCS foods have been held at an unsafe temperature for an unknown duration, they must be discarded because the risk of pathogen growth cannot be assessed.