ServSafe Practice Test 3 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A food handler who regularly takes medication for high blood pressure asks if they need to report this to their manager. What is the correct answer?
- Yes, because all medications must be disclosed
- No, because it is not a foodborne illness symptom or diagnosis (Correct answer)
- Yes, because medications can be a food safety hazard
- No, but they must keep the medication out of the kitchen
Correct answer: No, because it is not a foodborne illness symptom or diagnosis
Food handlers only need to report symptoms or diagnoses related to the Big 6 pathogens or conditions that can cause foodborne illness, not routine prescription medications.
Question 2: Which method is NOT an approved way to cool hot food rapidly?
- Placing food in an ice-water bath
- Dividing food into shallow pans
- Placing hot food directly into a refrigerator uncovered (Correct answer)
- Using a blast chiller
Correct answer: Placing hot food directly into a refrigerator uncovered
Placing large amounts of hot food directly into a refrigerator raises the unit's temperature and may not cool food fast enough to pass through the danger zone safely.
Question 3: A customer reports that another guest may have a peanut allergy after the dish has been plated. What is the best action?
- Scrape the peanuts off the plate and serve it
- Inform the customer it is too late to make changes
- Prepare a completely new dish using clean equipment (Correct answer)
- Pour the dish into a new, clean plate
Correct answer: Prepare a completely new dish using clean equipment
Allergen cross-contact cannot be corrected by removing the allergen; a new dish prepared on thoroughly cleaned and sanitized equipment is the only safe solution.
Question 4: What does FIFO stand for in food storage management?
- First In, First Out (Correct answer)
- Fresh Items First Out
- First In, Frozen Out
- Food Inventory For Operations
Correct answer: First In, First Out
FIFO means older product (first in) is used before newer product (first out), ensuring food is used before it expires.
Question 5: A sanitizer test strip shows the chlorine sanitizing solution is at 10 ppm. What should the food handler do?
- Use the solution as it is still within range
- Add more chlorine to bring concentration up to the correct range
- Discard the solution and make a new batch at the correct concentration (Correct answer)
- Add hot water to raise the concentration
Correct answer: Discard the solution and make a new batch at the correct concentration
Chlorine sanitizer below 50 ppm is not effective; the solution must be discarded and replaced with a correctly mixed batch.
Question 6: Which item requires a variance from the regulatory authority before it can be served?
- Well-done hamburger patties
- Pasteurized orange juice
- Raw oysters served on the half shell (Correct answer)
- Hard-boiled eggs
Correct answer: Raw oysters served on the half shell
Serving raw or undercooked seafood such as raw oysters requires a variance because it poses a significant risk that standard food safety practices may not adequately control.
Question 7: Which is the most important reason for keeping a pest control log in a food establishment?
- To satisfy health inspector paperwork requirements only
- To document treatments, monitor effectiveness, and identify recurring infestation patterns (Correct answer)
- To track costs associated with pest management
- To record the names of pest control technicians who visited
Correct answer: To document treatments, monitor effectiveness, and identify recurring infestation patterns
A pest control log helps management identify trends, evaluate the effectiveness of treatments, and take corrective actions before infestations become severe.
ServSafe Practice Test 3 5
A food handler who regularly takes medication for high blood pressure asks if they need to report this to their manager.
What is the correct answer?