TEMPERATURE TRAPS
A pot of chili is being held at exactly 135°F. Is it in the Danger Zone?
NO? 135°F is the minimum safe hot-holding temperature.
A cook washes their hands, puts on gloves, handles raw chicken, removes the gloves, puts on a new pair, and starts making sandwiches. What important step is missing?
What is washing their hands again after handling the raw chicken?
You have ready-to-eat food, raw eggs, ground beef, and raw chicken. Which item belongs on the bottom shelf?
What is raw chicken/poultry?
A customer asks whether a dessert contains peanuts. The server thinks it probably doesn't. What should the server say?
What is NEVER GUESS—ask the chef about the ingredients?
A restaurant receives frozen food that is partially thawed. The manager says, "We'll just refreeze it." What's the problem?
What is frozen food should arrive frozen and food deliveries must be checked before acceptance?
A refrigerator thermometer reads 41°F, but the chicken salad inside reads 44°F. Which temperature matters for food safety?
What is the temperature of the food? Food must be 41°F or colder.
An employee uses hand sanitizer after touching raw chicken instead of washing their hands. What is wrong?
What is hand sanitizer cannot replace handwashing?
Why does raw chicken go below ground beef in the refrigerator?
What is chicken requires a higher cooking temperature, so it belongs lower to prevent drips from contaminating food below?
A customer says they have a severe sesame allergy. The chef prepares their food using the same cutting board used moments earlier for sesame-containing food. The board looks clean. Is it safe?
What is NO? Equipment and surfaces can transfer allergens even when contamination isn't visible.
A restaurant receives cold food at 42°F. The food looks and smells fine. Should the restaurant accept it?
What is NO? Cold food should be 41°F or below when delivered.
A cook reheats yesterday's soup to 150°F and immediately serves it to customers. Is this automatically a violation?
What is NO, if it is being served immediately? Food being reheated for immediate service may be reheated to any temperature. Reheating for hot holding requires 165°F.
A worker washes their hands in the three-compartment sink because the handwashing sink is full of dirty dishes. What is wrong?
What is hands must be washed only in the designated handwashing sink?
A container of raw salmon is placed ABOVE a container of ready-to-eat salad. The salmon is sealed. Is this storage arrangement still wrong?
What is YES? Raw meat should be stored below other food, even if packaged.
Name FIVE of the nine major food allergens listed in the Washington manual.
What are milk, eggs, fish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, soybeans, shellfish, and sesame? Any five.
chef washes an avocado before cutting it. A student asks, "Why wash the skin if we're not eating it?" Give the food-safety reason.
What is the knife can transfer germs and dirt from the outside into the edible portion?
A chef says, "The chicken has been cooking for 30 minutes, so I know it's safe." Why is this statement wrong?
What is cooking time and appearance cannot prove that food is safe; a food thermometer is needed to measure the internal temperature?
A worker dries freshly washed hands on their apron because there are no paper towels. What problem could this create?
What is the apron can put germs back onto the hands?
Put these in refrigerator order from TOP to BOTTOM: raw poultry, ready-to-eat food, raw fish/eggs, raw ground beef.
What is ready-to-eat food → raw fish/eggs → raw ground beef → raw poultry?
A customer tells the server about a serious food allergy. What TWO people/actions should immediately be involved before preparing the food?
What are tell the chef and keep the allergen separate using clean gloves, utensils, equipment, and surfaces?
A chef washes a cutting board with soap and water and says, "It's clean, so we're done." What step is missing?
What is sanitizing?
A pan of cooked rice starts at 135°F. After 2 hours it reaches 70°F. Four hours later it reaches 41°F. Safe or unsafe?
What is SAFE? It reached 70°F within 2 hours and 41°F within 6 total hours.
A worker has a bandaged cut on their hand and puts on a glove. They are ready to prepare food. What question should you ask before allowing them to start?
What is whether the wound is properly covered with a bandage AND a disposable glove?
A worker stores an uncovered pan of cooling soup underneath a shelf containing raw chicken. Why is this especially dangerous?
What is the uncovered soup could be contaminated by drips or other contamination from the raw chicken?
A customer eats a food containing an allergen and develops difficulty breathing and swelling of the face and throat. What is the FIRST emergency action identified in the manual?
What is call 911 and get medical help immediately?
A sanitizer bucket is cloudy. The employee says, "It was the correct strength when we mixed it this morning." Why isn't that enough?
What is sanitizer can stop working over time, and it should be changed when it becomes dirty or cloudy?