ServSafe Certification The Flow of Food: Purchasing, Receiving, and Storage 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A food handler is receiving a shipment of frozen fish and notices ice crystals and large ice chunks around the package. This most likely indicates:
- The fish was properly blast-frozen
- The fish thawed and was refrozen (Correct answer)
- The packaging is extra insulated
- The fish is exceptionally fresh
Correct answer: The fish thawed and was refrozen
Large ice crystals or excessive ice buildup around frozen food suggests the product thawed and was refrozen, indicating a temperature abuse event.
Question 2: Which of the following is a proper practice when storing dry goods in a storeroom?
- Store items directly on the floor for easy access
- Store items at least 6 inches off the floor (Correct answer)
- Store items in open containers to allow airflow
- Store items near chemical cleaning supplies
Correct answer: Store items at least 6 inches off the floor
Dry goods must be stored at least 6 inches off the floor to allow for inspection and prevent contamination.
Question 3: What is the correct storage order from top to bottom in a walk-in cooler for the following: raw pork, lettuce, raw shrimp, raw chicken?
- Lettuce, raw shrimp, raw pork, raw chicken (Correct answer)
- Raw chicken, raw pork, raw shrimp, lettuce
- Raw shrimp, lettuce, raw pork, raw chicken
- Lettuce, raw pork, raw shrimp, raw chicken
Correct answer: Lettuce, raw shrimp, raw pork, raw chicken
Items are stored by final cooking temperature: RTE foods on top, then seafood (145°F), then whole pork (145°F), then poultry (165°F) at the bottom.
Question 4: A food manager is purchasing produce. Which of the following is an approved food source?
- A local farm that has never been inspected
- A neighbor who grows vegetables in their garden
- A supplier that meets local, state, and federal standards (Correct answer)
- A forager who harvests wild mushrooms
Correct answer: A supplier that meets local, state, and federal standards
Food must come from approved, reputable suppliers that comply with applicable laws and regulations.
Question 5: Reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) fish must be removed from its packaging before thawing in a refrigerator because:
- The packaging traps moisture
- Clostridium botulinum can grow without oxygen at refrigerator temperatures (Correct answer)
- The packaging releases harmful gases when thawing
- It thaws faster without the packaging
Correct answer: Clostridium botulinum can grow without oxygen at refrigerator temperatures
Type E Clostridium botulinum can grow in ROP fish packaging at refrigerator temperatures, so the packaging must be opened before refrigerator thawing.
Question 6: When should shellfish tags be discarded after the last shellfish from a batch is used?
- Immediately after the last shellfish is used
- After 30 days
- After 90 days (Correct answer)
- After 1 year
Correct answer: After 90 days
Shellfish tags must be kept on file for 90 days from the date the last shellfish from the container was used.
Question 7: Which of the following is an acceptable method to thaw frozen food?
- On a countertop at room temperature overnight
- In a sink filled with standing cold water
- Under cold running water at 70°F (21°C) or lower (Correct answer)
- In a warm oven set to 100°F (38°C)
Correct answer: Under cold running water at 70°F (21°C) or lower
Thawing under cold running water at 70°F (21°C) or lower is an approved method that keeps food out of the temperature danger zone.
ServSafe Certification The Flow of Food: Purchasing, Receiving, and Storage 3
A food handler is receiving a shipment of frozen fish and notices ice crystals and large ice chunks around the package.
This most likely indicates: