ServSafe Time and Temperature Control 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A food handler pulls cooked chicken from the oven at 180°F and places it in a steam table. After 3 hours the chicken reads 138°F. What action is required?
- Reheat the chicken to 165°F within 2 hours (Correct answer)
- Discard the chicken immediately
- Add more hot water to the steam table and continue serving
- Cool the chicken and refrigerate it
Correct answer: Reheat the chicken to 165°F within 2 hours
TCS food held below 135°F must be reheated to 165°F within 2 hours to be safe for continued hot holding.
Question 2: What is the minimum internal temperature for cooking ground beef patties?
- 145°F
- 155°F (Correct answer)
- 165°F
- 135°F
Correct answer: 155°F
Ground beef must reach 155°F for 15 seconds to destroy pathogens that may have been introduced during grinding.
Question 3: A soup is cooled from 135°F to 70°F in 3 hours. How much additional time does the food handler have to cool it to 41°F?
- 1 hour
- 2 hours (Correct answer)
- 3 hours
- 4 hours
Correct answer: 2 hours
The two-stage cooling rule allows 2 hours to drop from 70°F to 41°F after the first stage is complete.
Question 4: Which cooling method is MOST effective for rapidly cooling a large pot of chili?
- Place the pot uncovered in the walk-in cooler
- Divide chili into shallow pans and place in an ice-water bath (Correct answer)
- Refrigerate the pot with the lid on
- Let chili cool on the counter for 1 hour then refrigerate
Correct answer: Divide chili into shallow pans and place in an ice-water bath
Dividing food into shallow containers and using an ice-water bath increases surface area and rapidly removes heat.
Question 5: Shellfish must be received at or below which temperature?
- 41°F
- 45°F (Correct answer)
- 50°F
- 38°F
Correct answer: 45°F
Live shellfish and shucked shellfish must be received at 45°F or lower and then cooled to 41°F within 4 hours.
Question 6: A food handler is reheating leftover lasagna in a microwave. What must they do to ensure even temperature distribution?
- Heat to 135°F and serve immediately
- Stir or rotate the food midway and let it stand covered for 2 minutes after reaching 165°F (Correct answer)
- Heat on high power continuously without stopping
- Check only the surface temperature with a thermometer
Correct answer: Stir or rotate the food midway and let it stand covered for 2 minutes after reaching 165°F
Microwaves heat unevenly, so stirring or rotating plus a 2-minute stand time helps heat distribute to 165°F throughout.
Question 7: What is the maximum time TCS food can remain in the temperature danger zone during preparation before it must be cooked or refrigerated?
- 30 minutes
- 1 hour
- 2 hours (Correct answer)
- 4 hours
Correct answer: 2 hours
TCS food should spend no more than a cumulative total of 4 hours in the danger zone, but best practice is to limit prep exposure to 2 hours before cooking or chilling.
ServSafe Time and Temperature Control 4
A food handler pulls cooked chicken from the oven at 180°F and places it in a steam table.
After 3 hours the chicken reads 138°F.
What action is required?