Basic Food Safety
What is the minimum handwashing time for scrubbing hands and arms?
10–15 seconds (Total process should take about 20 seconds).
When must a food handler wash their hands?
answer: After using the restroom, touching hair/face/body, eating, drinking, smoking, chewing gum, or handling raw meat/poultry.
What is the best way to prevent cross-contact when preparing food for a customer with a food allergy?
answer: Wash, rinse, and sanitize cookware, utensils, and equipment, and wash hands and change gloves before preparing the food.
What is the maximum allowable temperature range for the "Temperature Danger Zone" where pathogens grow rapidly?
answer: 41f to 135f ). TCS food must be kept out of this range to prevent bacteria growth,
What are the five steps to cleaning and sanitizing items in a three-compartment sink?
answer: (1) Scrape/soak items, (2) Wash, (3) Rinse, (4) Sanitize, and (5) Air-dry.
How long should the entire handwashing process take?
answer: At least 20 seconds total, with 10–15 seconds spent scrubbing with soap.
A food handler uses the same cutting board to chop vegetables and raw chicken. What type of contamination is this?
answer: Cross-contamination.
What are the time and temperature requirements for cooling hot TCS food from 135f to41f or lower?
answer: The food must be cooled from 135f to 70f within 2 hours, and then from 70f to 41for lower within an additional 4 hours (6 hours total).
True or False: Surfaces must be sanitized before they are cleaned.
answer: False. Surfaces must be cleaned and rinsed first, then sanitized.
What is the proper way to handle ready-to-eat (RTE) foods?
answer: Never touch with bare hands; always use tongs, deli tissue, or gloves.
What must a food handler do when they have a cut on their finger?
answer: Wash the wound, cover it with an impermeable bandage (like a finger cot), and wear a single-use glove.
Which of the following is NOT one of the "Big Nine" food allergens?
answer: Strawberries (The Big Nine are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame).
What is the minimum internal cooking temperature for chicken or stuffed meats?
answer: 165f for 15 seconds.
How often must food-contact surfaces in constant use be cleaned and sanitized?
answer: At least every four hours.
How far off the floor must food be stored?
answer: At least 6 inches (15 centimeters)
When should a food handler change their gloves?
answer: As soon as they become soiled/torn, before beginning a new task, after handling raw meat, and after four hours of continuous use.
What should a server do if a guest tells them they have a food allergy?
answer: tell the chef immediately, inform the guest how food is prepared, and check ingredient labels.
4. When reheating TCS food for hot-holding, what temperature must it reach within 2 hours?
answer: 165f for 15 seconds.
What is the required minimum water temperature and soaking time to heat-sanitize items?
answer: 171f for at least 30 seconds.
Which group is considered high-risk for foodborne illness?
answer: Elderly people, preschool-age children, and people with compromised immune systems.
Which symptoms require a food handler to be excluded from the operation?
answer: Vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, or sore throat with fever
A cook prepares a salad for a customer with a nut allergy, but uses the same tongs used for a walnut salad. What has occurred?
answer: Cross-contact.
How long can cold food be held without temperature control before it must be served or thrown out?
Up to 6 hours, provided it was held at 41f or lower before removal and does not exceed 70f while out
What factors affect the effectiveness of a chemical sanitizer?
answer: Concentration, temperature, contact time, water hardness, and pH.