ServSafe Proper Food Storage 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A prep cook thaws a 10-pound turkey in the refrigerator. How long should they plan for the thawing process?
- 12–18 hours
- 1–2 days (Correct answer)
- 3–4 days
- 5–7 days
Correct answer: 1–2 days
Refrigerator thawing requires approximately 24 hours for every 5 pounds, so a 10-pound turkey needs about 1–2 days.
Question 2: Which label information is required on a container of leftover chili stored in a walk-in cooler?
- The name of the food and the date it must be used by (Correct answer)
- The name of the food handler who prepared it
- The original recipe ingredients
- The date received and vendor name
Correct answer: The name of the food and the date it must be used by
Ready-to-eat TCS food held for more than 24 hours must be labeled with the food name and the date it must be consumed by.
Question 3: A walk-in freezer is holding foods at 0°F (-18°C). A whole raw salmon was stored there 9 months ago. What should the manager do?
- Discard it immediately as it has exceeded safe storage limits
- Use it soon since frozen fish is only safe for 3–4 months
- Continue storing it — properly frozen fish can be held indefinitely for safety (Correct answer)
- Thaw and inspect it before deciding
Correct answer: Continue storing it — properly frozen fish can be held indefinitely for safety
Food stored continuously frozen at 0°F (-18°C) remains safe indefinitely, though quality may decline over time.
Question 4: Bulk dry rice should be transferred from its original bag into a storage container. Which container is appropriate?
- A clean cardboard box lined with plastic wrap
- A food-grade container with a tight-fitting lid (Correct answer)
- A galvanized trash can
- Any clean container as long as rice is covered
Correct answer: A food-grade container with a tight-fitting lid
Dry foods must be stored in food-grade containers with tight-fitting lids to prevent contamination and pest access.
Question 5: Raw ground pork, raw shrimp, whole raw beef roasts, and ready-to-eat salad greens are all in the same walk-in cooler. From top to bottom, what is the correct storage order?
- Salad greens, whole beef, shrimp, ground pork (Correct answer)
- Whole beef, salad greens, shrimp, ground pork
- Ground pork, whole beef, shrimp, salad greens
- Shrimp, salad greens, ground pork, whole beef
Correct answer: Salad greens, whole beef, shrimp, ground pork
Storage order from top to bottom: RTE foods, whole fish/seafood, whole beef, ground meats/poultry — based on ascending minimum cooking temperatures.
Question 6: A food handler stored a container of raw marinating chicken directly on the shelf above sliced deli meats in the cooler. What is the risk?
- The chicken could freeze the deli meat below it
- Raw chicken juices could drip onto and contaminate the ready-to-eat deli meat (Correct answer)
- The deli meat could transfer bacteria upward to the chicken
- There is no risk if both foods are kept cold
Correct answer: Raw chicken juices could drip onto and contaminate the ready-to-eat deli meat
Raw poultry must always be stored below ready-to-eat foods because dripping juices can cross-contaminate RTE items.
Question 7: What is the maximum number of days that ready-to-eat TCS food can be stored in a cooler held at 41°F (5°C) before it must be discarded?
- 3 days
- 5 days
- 7 days (Correct answer)
- 10 days
Correct answer: 7 days
Ready-to-eat TCS food stored at 41°F (5°C) or below must be discarded after 7 days to prevent pathogen growth.
ServSafe Proper Food Storage 5
A prep cook thaws a 10-pound turkey in the refrigerator.
How long should they plan for the thawing process?