Think Like a Manager
A manager needs to determine which food safety topics employees need training on. What is one effective way to identify these needs?
Observe employees performing their jobs. Interviews and formal assessments are also acceptable.
What is the term for protecting food from intentional contamination or tampering?
Food defense.
A food handler applies a hand antiseptic instead of washing their hands. What should the manager explain?
Hand antiseptics cannot replace handwashing.
A serving spoon is stored in a container of food between uses. Where must its handle extend?
Above the rim of the container.
What documents provide chemical handling information and emergency measures and must be accessible to employees at all times?
Safety Data Sheets, or SDS.
A trained employee repeatedly performs a food safety task incorrectly. What should the manager do?
Correct the unsafe practice immediately and retrain the employee.
A customer asks where to find written information about major allergens in menu items. Where may the operation provide this information?
On printed materials or electronically, such as menus, signs, a website, or a QR code.
After washing their hands and applying a hand antiseptic, what must a food handler do before touching food or equipment?
Allow the hand antiseptic to dry.
An operation wants permission to waive or change a regulatory requirement for a special preparation process. What document may it need?
A variance issued by the regulatory authority.
A food-contact surface has deteriorated and no longer meets required equipment standards. What must the operation do?
Replace the equipment.
An inspector arrives during a busy lunch service without an appointment. What should the person in charge do?
Allow the inspector access to the operation.
A food handler uses a peanut-contaminated utensil to prepare a meal for a guest with a peanut allergy. What is the best corrective action?
Discard the affected food and thoroughly clean and sanitize contaminated surfaces before preparing a replacement safely.
What three characteristics are required for cut-resistant gloves used in the operation?
Smooth, durable, and nonabsorbent
Properly cooked and cooled sous-vide food is reheated for immediate service. To what temperature must it be reheated?
It may be reheated to any temperature for immediate service, provided it was cooked and cooled correctly.
What should employees use to verify the concentration of a disinfectant solution?
An appropriate test kit or other device that accurately measures its concentration.
A manager follows food safety procedures, explains why they matter, and recognizes employees who follow them. What is the manager helping build?
A strong food safety culture.
A food handler places unwashed vegetables beside ready-to-eat sandwich ingredients. What change is required?
Separate the unwashed vegetables from ready-to-eat food.
An employee saves a single-use food container to store prepared ingredients. What should the manager require?
Use a food-storage container intended for repeated use; do not reuse single-use containers.
Before holding TCS food without temperature control, what must an operation do regarding written procedures?
Prepare them in advance, keep them on-site, and make them available to the regulatory authority upon request.
Employees discover signs of pests in a storage area. Who should determine whether pesticides are needed and where pest-control devices should be placed?
The pest control operator, or PCO. Pesticides must be applied by a certified applicator.
A manager identifies a food safety risk, corrects it, and changes procedures to prevent it from happening again. What management approach does this demonstrate?
Active managerial control.
Under the FDA’s Employees FIRST food defense guidance, what should an employee do after noticing unusual or suspicious activity?
Tell management.
Where permitted, a guest returns a reusable food container for a refill. What must a food handler do before it is refilled?
Clean and sanitize it, then visually inspect it to verify it meets requirements.
A facility primarily serves a high-risk population. Which food identified in the update sheet may NOT be held using time without temperature control?
Raw shell eggs.
Several illnesses appear to be linked to food served by an operation. How does the update sheet classify an apparent foodborne-illness outbreak?
An imminent health hazard.