Preventing Cross-Contamination Flashcards
6 cards from real SERVSAFE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Preventing Cross-Contamination flashcards as text
A food handler needs to store a shipment of food in the walk-in cooler. From top to bottom, which of the following is the correct storage order to prevent cross-contamination?
Answer: Fresh lettuce, raw salmon, raw ground beef, raw chicken breasts
To prevent cross-contamination, food must be stored in the refrigerator based on the minimum internal cooking temperature. Ready-to-eat foods, like lettuce, are stored on the top. Below that are foods requiring progressively higher cooking temperatures, with poultry always on the bottom shelf because it requires the highest internal cooking temperature.
A chef is preparing grilled chicken sandwiches. Which of the following actions is a primary cause of cross-contamination?
Answer: Using the same tongs to place raw chicken on the grill and then to place the cooked chicken on the bun.
Cross-contamination occurs when pathogens are transferred from one surface or food to another. Using the same tongs for raw and then cooked food transfers bacteria from the raw product to the ready-to-eat product.
A food-contact surface, such as a cutting board, must be cleaned and sanitized at which of the following times?
Answer: After four hours of continuous use.
ServSafe guidelines require that food-contact surfaces in constant use must be cleaned and sanitized at least every four hours to prevent the accumulation and growth of pathogens.
Which of the following is the BEST method for preventing cross-contamination between raw meat and ready-to-eat foods during preparation?
Answer: Using separate, color-coded cutting boards for raw meat and produce.
Using separate equipment, such as color-coded cutting boards, for raw and ready-to-eat foods is a critical step in preventing cross-contamination. This creates a physical barrier that stops pathogens from transferring between food types.
A food handler finishes deboning raw chicken and needs to chop vegetables for a salad. What is the correct sequence of actions the food handler must take before starting to chop the vegetables?
Answer: Wash, rinse, and sanitize the cutting board and knife; then wash hands and change gloves.
When switching from working with raw animal products to ready-to-eat foods, all food-contact surfaces must be properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized. The food handler must also wash their hands thoroughly and put on new gloves to prevent transferring pathogens.
At a self-service buffet, which practice helps prevent customers from cross-contaminating the food?
Answer: Ensuring each food item has its own dedicated serving utensil.
Providing a separate utensil for each food item prevents cross-contamination that can occur when customers use the same utensil for different dishes. It also prevents pathogens from a customer's hands from contaminating the utensil and then the food.