Food Safety Basics
A disease transmitted to people by food.
What is a foodborne illness?
Contamination caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, or toxins.
What is biological contamination
Name two actions food handlers should never do while working.
What are touching face or hair, eating, drinking, coughing on food, or working while sick?
The path food takes through a kitchen from start to finish.
What is the flow of food?
This term describes food that needs time and temperature control to stay safe.
What is TCS food?
Name the three main types of contaminants that make food unsafe.
What are biological, chemical, and physical?
Name two of the "Big Six" pathogens.
Norovirus, Hepatitis A, Shigella, Salmonella Typhi, Nontyphoidal Salmonella, and E.Coli
These are the five steps to proper handwashing, including time.
What are wet hands, apply soap, scrub for 10–15 seconds, rinse, and dry with a single-use towel?
This temperature range is known as the danger zone.
What is 41°F to 135°F?
These three groups are most likely to get sick from unsafe food.
Who are high-risk populations such as elderly people, preschool-age children, and people with compromised immune symptoms.
Name three ways food can become unsafe in a kitchen.
What are time-temperature abuse, cross-contamination, poor personal hygiene, poor cleaning and sanitizing, or unsafe food sources?
This acronym describes what bacteria need to grow. Say the acronym and what it stands for.
Food, Acidity, Time, Temperature, Oxygen, Moisture
Can hand antiseptics replace handwashing? Explain why or why not.
What is no—hand antiseptics can only be used after proper handwashing?
In which part of the danger zone do pathogens grow the fastest?
What is 70°F to 125°F?
This happens when allergens are accidentally transferred from one food or surface to another.
What is cross-contact?
This happens when food stays too long at unsafe temperatures, allowing bacteria to grow.
What is time-temperature abuse?
Name two bacteria foodborne illnesses and one food linked to each.
Salmonella Typhi - Ready-to-Eat food, Beverages
Nontyphoidal Salmonella - Poultry and eggs, meat
Shigella - TCS food, food that has been touched by flies
Shiga toxin producing E.Coli - Ground beef - contaminated produce
Name two times gloves must be changed while working.
What are when they tear or get dirty, after handling raw food, before a new task, or after leaving the work area?
Name two examples of temperature abuse.
What are holding food at the wrong temperature or not cooling/reheating food properly?
Name two examples of poor personal hygiene and explain why they are dangerous in a kitchen.
What are actions like touching your face or working while sick, which can transfer pathogens to food?
Define the two "cross" words associated with making food unsafe, and give an example of how each can happen
What is Cross-Contamination which is the transfer of pathogens from one food or surface to another, such as raw chicken juices dripping onto ready-to-eat food? What is Cross-Contact, which is food or a food surface coming into contact with an allergen, not washing a board.
Name the Big 9 Allergens and explain one way to prevent an allergic reaction when serving guests.
Milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame. - Clearly communicate ingredients to guests, serve food separately, etc.
Explain the difference between restricting and excluding a food handler and give one example of each.
What is restricting a worker with a sore throat from food handling, and excluding a worker with vomiting or diarrhea from the operation?
Explain how to properly check food temperatures, including the correct thermometer and why calibration matters.
What is using a bimetallic stemmed thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the food and calibrating it to ensure accurate readings?
A pot of soup was prepared the day before to be served to customers. It was cooked to an internal temperature of 165, immediately put in the fridge, and then taken out of the fridge the next morning. Four hours later it was temped at 85 degrees, heated back up, and served. Using SERV Safe rules, explain whether the soup is safe and why or why not.
What is the soup is unsafe because it was not cooled properly, left out for four hours, and within the temperature danger zone, resulting in possible bacteria growth.