ServSafe Safe Food Purchasing/Receiving 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A shipment of raw 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)
- Accept it and immediately freeze it
- Accept it only if packaged in vacuum-sealed bags
Correct answer: Reject it because it exceeds the 41°F (5°C) limit
Raw ground beef must be received at 41°F (5°C) or below; 48°F exceeds this limit and the shipment must be rejected.
Question 2: Which document should accompany a shellfish delivery to verify it came from an approved source?
- A bill of lading
- A shellfish identification tag (Correct answer)
- A USDA grade certificate
- A temperature log from the truck
Correct answer: A shellfish identification tag
Shellfish must arrive with identification tags showing harvest location, harvest date, and that the source is approved.
Question 3: When inspecting a delivery of canned goods, which finding requires rejecting the entire case?
- Minor label smudging
- Cans with swollen ends (Correct answer)
- Slight dents on the side seams away from seams
- Dust on the outer cardboard box
Correct answer: Cans with swollen ends
Swollen cans indicate possible gas production from microbial growth such as Clostridium botulinum and must be rejected.
Question 4: A food service operation is choosing a new produce supplier. Which criterion is most important for food safety?
- The supplier offers the lowest price per case
- The supplier is approved and inspected by a regulatory authority (Correct answer)
- The supplier can deliver seven days a week
- The supplier provides organic certification
Correct answer: The supplier is approved and inspected by a regulatory authority
Purchasing from approved, regularly inspected suppliers ensures produce meets safety standards and comes from a reputable source.
Question 5: Live lobsters arrive at a restaurant. Which condition is grounds for rejection?
- Lobsters with dark green tomalley
- Lobsters that show no movement or response to touch (Correct answer)
- Lobsters with intact claws still banded
- Lobsters with barnacles on the shell
Correct answer: Lobsters that show no movement or response to touch
Live shellfish must be alive upon delivery; lack of movement or response indicates the lobster is dead and must be rejected.
Question 6: What is the correct procedure when a delivery driver cannot provide the temperature log for a refrigerated truck?
- Accept the delivery if the food looks and smells fine
- Use a calibrated probe thermometer to check product temperatures before accepting (Correct answer)
- Ask the driver to return with the log on the next delivery
- Accept half the order and reject the rest
Correct answer: Use a calibrated probe thermometer to check product temperatures before accepting
When a temperature log is unavailable, receivers must check actual food temperatures with a calibrated thermometer before accepting any items.
Question 7: Which label information on a food package is most critical for a receiver to check for food safety?
- Brand logo design
- Use-by or expiration date (Correct answer)
- Suggested retail price
- Country of design origin
Correct answer: Use-by or expiration date
The use-by or expiration date indicates whether the product is still within its safe usable period and must be checked at receiving.
ServSafe Safe Food Purchasing/Receiving 4
A shipment of raw ground beef arrives at 48°F (9°C).
What should the receiver do?