ServSafe Certification Cleaning and Sanitizing 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A food establishment uses iodine sanitizer. What is the recommended concentration range?
- 12.5–25 ppm
- 25–75 ppm (Correct answer)
- 100–200 ppm
- 200–400 ppm
Correct answer: 25–75 ppm
Iodine sanitizer is effective at 25–75 ppm and should be tested to ensure it falls within this range.
Question 2: Which type of surface CANNOT be sanitized using chemical sanitizers alone?
- Stainless steel prep tables
- Cutting boards
- Porous wooden surfaces (Correct answer)
- Plastic food containers
Correct answer: Porous wooden surfaces
Porous wooden surfaces harbor bacteria in their pores and cannot be effectively sanitized with chemicals, which is why wood is generally not approved for food-contact use.
Question 3: What does a sanitizer test kit measure?
- The temperature of the sanitizing solution
- The pH level of the water supply
- The concentration of sanitizer in the solution (Correct answer)
- The number of bacteria remaining after sanitizing
Correct answer: The concentration of sanitizer in the solution
Sanitizer test kits measure the concentration of the sanitizing solution to verify it is within the effective range.
Question 4: How often should sanitizer solution in a three-compartment sink be changed?
- Once per day
- Every four hours
- When it becomes visibly dirty or loses concentration (Correct answer)
- Every two hours regardless of appearance
Correct answer: When it becomes visibly dirty or loses concentration
Sanitizer solution must be changed when it becomes visibly dirty or when testing shows it has dropped below the required concentration.
Question 5: Which water temperature is required for the hot-water sanitizing method in a dishwasher's final rinse?
- 140°F (60°C)
- 160°F (71°C)
- 180°F (82°C) (Correct answer)
- 212°F (100°C)
Correct answer: 180°F (82°C)
High-temperature dishwashers must reach 180°F (82°C) at the dish surface during the final rinse to effectively sanitize.
Question 6: A manager wants to clean the hood filters above the grill. This task is an example of:
- Food-contact surface cleaning
- Non-food-contact surface cleaning (Correct answer)
- Sanitizing a critical zone
- Deep sanitizing a food zone
Correct answer: Non-food-contact surface cleaning
Hood filters are non-food-contact surfaces; they require cleaning but not the same sanitizing standards as surfaces that touch food.
Question 7: What is the key difference between cleaning and sanitizing?
- Cleaning uses chemicals; sanitizing uses only hot water
- Cleaning removes dirt and debris; sanitizing reduces pathogens to safe levels (Correct answer)
- Sanitizing must always come before cleaning
- Cleaning and sanitizing mean the same thing in food safety
Correct answer: Cleaning removes dirt and debris; sanitizing reduces pathogens to safe levels
Cleaning removes visible dirt and food residue, while sanitizing uses heat or chemicals to reduce pathogens to safe levels on a surface.
ServSafe Certification Cleaning and Sanitizing 3
A food establishment uses iodine sanitizer.
What is the recommended concentration range?