ServSafe Certification The Flow of Food: Purchasing, Receiving, and Storage 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A delivery of ground beef arrives at 48°F (9°C). What should the receiver do?
- Accept it since it is below 50°F
- Reject it because it exceeds the 41°F (5°C) limit (Correct answer)
- Place it in the freezer immediately to lower the temperature
- Accept it and use it within 24 hours
Correct answer: Reject it because it exceeds the 41°F (5°C) limit
Ground beef must be received at 41°F (5°C) or lower; 48°F exceeds the safe receiving temperature.
Question 2: Which document should accompany a shellfish delivery to verify it came from an approved source?
- A bill of lading
- Shellfish tags (Correct answer)
- A vendor invoice
- A HACCP plan
Correct answer: Shellfish tags
Shellfish tags must accompany all shellfish deliveries and be kept on file for 90 days.
Question 3: When storing food in a walk-in cooler, ready-to-eat foods should be stored:
- Below raw poultry
- Below raw ground beef
- Above all raw meats (Correct answer)
- Next to raw seafood
Correct answer: Above all raw meats
Ready-to-eat foods must always be stored above raw meats to prevent cross-contamination.
Question 4: What is the maximum storage temperature for fresh shell eggs received at a food service operation?
- 45°F (7°C) (Correct answer)
- 41°F (5°C)
- 50°F (10°C)
- 38°F (3°C)
Correct answer: 45°F (7°C)
Shell eggs may be received and stored at up to 45°F (7°C), unlike most other TCS foods.
Question 5: A food manager notices a case of canned tomatoes with swollen lids. This is a sign of:
- Normal vacuum sealing
- Possible Clostridium botulinum contamination (Correct answer)
- Over-ripened tomatoes
- Excess nitrogen gas used in packing
Correct answer: Possible Clostridium botulinum contamination
Swollen or bulging cans indicate gas-producing microbial activity, a classic sign of potential botulism contamination.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes the FIFO method of food storage?
- Store food by size, largest containers first
- Rotate stock so newer items are used before older items
- Rotate stock so older items are used before newer items (Correct answer)
- Store frozen food before refrigerated food
Correct answer: Rotate stock so older items are used before newer items
FIFO (First In, First Out) means older inventory is placed in front and used first to prevent spoilage.
Question 7: At what minimum internal temperature must live shellfish be received to ensure safety?
- They must be received alive with no temperature requirement
- At 45°F (7°C) or lower (Correct answer)
- At 41°F (5°C) or lower
- At 50°F (10°C) or lower
Correct answer: At 45°F (7°C) or lower
Live shellfish must be received alive and at an air temperature of 45°F (7°C) or lower.
ServSafe Certification The Flow of Food: Purchasing, Receiving, and Storage 2
A delivery of ground beef arrives at 48°F (9°C).
What should the receiver do?