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ServSafe Exam Questions
Page 1 of 25
1.
Which of the following is the employer not allowed to do while the investigation is ongoing?
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Cutting the complainant's hours to avoid contact with the alleged harasser
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Changing the schedule to avoid contact between the victim and the alleged harasser
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Temporarily transferring the alleged harasser to a different department
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Keeping the confidentiality of the case to the best extent possible
Correct answer: Cutting the complainant's hours to avoid contact with the alleged harasser
Cutting the complainant's hours to avoid contact with the alleged harasser would be considered retaliation against the complainant.
All the other options can be done and are not considered retaliation against the employee who complained, or to the alleged harasser.
2.
What is the difference between the sell by date and the best by date?
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The sell by date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. The best by date is the date by which the product should be eaten for best quality.
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The best by date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. The sell by date is the date by which the product should be eaten for best quality.
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Both date marks are interchangeable and do not mean different things.
Correct answer: The sell by date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. The best by date is the date by which the product should be eaten for best quality.
There are other dates on labels aside from use-by date or expiry date. A sell by date tells the store how long to display the products for sale. A best by date is the date by which the product should be eaten for the best flavor or quality.
3.
What is the minimum internal cooking temperature for roasted vegetables that will be hot-held for service?
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135˚F (57˚C) (no minimum time)
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165˚F (74˚C) for <1 second (Instantaneous)
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155˚F (68˚C) for 17 seconds
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145˚F (63˚C) for four minutes
Correct answer: 135˚F (57˚C) (no minimum time)
135˚F (57˚C) (no minimum time)
- Food from plants, including fruits, vegetables, grains (e.g., rice, pasta), and legumes (e.g., beans, refried beans) that will be hot-held for service
Other minimum internal cooking temperature requirements are:
165˚F (74˚C) for <1 second (Instantaneous)
- Poultry—whole or ground chicken, turkey or duck
- Stuffing made with fish, meat, or poultry
- Stuffed meat, seafood, poultry, or pasta
- Dishes that include previously cooked TCS ingredients
155˚F (68˚C) for 17 seconds
- Ground meat—beef, pork, and other meat
- Meat mechanically-tenderized with needles or blades or by injecting it with brine or flavors (e.g. brined ham or flavor-injected roasts)
- Meat vacuum-tumbled with marinades or other solutions
- Ground meat from game animals commercially raised and inspected
145˚F (63˚C) for 15 seconds
- Seafood—including fish, shellfish, and crustaceans
- Steaks/chops of pork, beef, veal, and lamb
- Commercially raised game
- Shell eggs that will be served immediately
145˚F (63˚C) for four minutes
- Roasts of pork, beef, veal, and lamb
- Alternate cooking times/temperatures
- 130˚F (54˚C) 112 minutes
- 131˚F (55˚C) 89 minutes
- 133˚F (56˚C) 56 minutes
- 135˚F (57˚C) 36 minutes
- 136˚F (58˚C) 28 minutes
- 138˚F (59˚C) 18 minutes
- 140˚F (60˚C) 12 minutes
- 142˚F (61˚C) 8 minutes
- 144˚F (62˚C) 5 minutes
4.
Which of the following is the correct practice in handling ice?
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Store ice scoops outside of the ice machine in a clean, protected location.
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Hold or carry ice in containers that have held raw meat, seafood, poultry, or chemicals
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Touch ice with your hands, or use a glass to scoop the ice.
Correct answer: Store ice scoops outside of the ice machine in a clean, protected location.
Follow these guidelines to avoid contaminating ice:
- Make ice from water that is safe to drink.
- Never use ice as an ingredient if it is used to keep food cold.
- Store ice scoops outside of the ice machine in a clean, protected location.
- Never hold or carry ice in containers that held raw meat, seafood, poultry, or chemicals.
- Never touch ice with your hands or use a glass to scoop the ice.
5.
What must be the temperature of coolers?
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41˚F (5˚C) or lower
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45˚F (7˚C)
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50˚F (10˚C)
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135˚F (57˚C)
Correct answer: 41˚F (5˚C) or lower
This temperature ensures that food items stored in coolers are not exposed to the temperature danger zone - 41˚F to 135˚F (5˚C to 57˚C).
6.
Which macronutrients in a food item cause an allergic reaction?
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Proteins
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Vitamins
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Carbohydrates
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Fats
Correct answer: Proteins
The immune system mistakenly recognizes food proteins to be harmful and releases chemicals that cause the symptoms of an allergic reaction.
The carbohydrate and fat contents of food do not cause an allergic reaction. Vitamins are considered a micronutrient.
7.
Which of the following is an example of a biological hazard?
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Virus
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Allergen
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Sanitizers
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Cleaners
Correct answer: Virus
Biological contaminants:
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Parasites
- Fungi
Allergens are proteins found in food. Sanitizers and cleaners are considered chemical hazards.
8.
What range of temperature is the most dangerous part of the temperature danger zone (TDZ)?
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70˚F to 125˚F (21˚C to 52˚C)
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41˚F to 135˚F (5˚C to 57˚C)
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41˚F to 70˚F (5˚C to 21˚C)
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70˚F to 135˚F (21˚C to 57˚C)
Correct answer: 70˚F to 125˚F (21˚C to 52˚C)
The temperature danger zone is 40˚F to 135˚F (5˚C to 57˚C) and most pathogens grow in this range. However, most pathogens grow much faster between 70˚F and 125˚F (21˚C and 52˚C).
9.
Which virus is best described by the following:
Source: Human feces
Foods linked: Ready-to-eat food
Prevention measure: Exclude from the operation staff who are vomiting or have diarrhea
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Norovirus
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Hepatitis A
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Salmonella typhi
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Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli
Correct answer: Norovirus
| Salmonella typhi | Non-typhoidal Salmonella | Shigella spp. | Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli | Hepatitis A | Norovirus | |
| Source | People | Farm animals, people | Human feces | Intestines of cattle; infected people | Human feces | Human feces |
| Foods linked | Beverage | Poultry and eggs | Food easily contaminated by hands, such as salads containing TCS food | Ground beef (raw and undercooked) | Ready-to-eat food | Ready-to-eat food |
| Prevention measure | Cook food to minimum internal temperature | Cook poultry and eggs to minimum internal temperature | Control flies inside and outside the operation | Cook food, especially ground beef, to minimum internal temperature | Exclude from the operation staff who have had jaundice for seven days or less | Exclude from the operation staff who are vomiting or have diarrhea |
10.
Which of the following are the most common forms of unconscious bias?
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Gender, ethnicity, race
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Age, politics, sex
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Education, disability, accent
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Weight, dialect, race
Correct answer: Gender, ethnicity, race
The most common forms of unconscious bias are gender, ethnicity, and race.
There are a lot of sources of bias: age, politics, sex, education, disability, accent, weight, dialect, geographic location, and religion.
11.
Which of the following is not an approved portable water source?
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Deep well
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Closed water containers
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Water transport vehicles
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Regularly-tested private sources
Correct answer: Deep well
Approved sources of potable water:
- Approved water mains
- Regularly-tested private sources
- Closed water containers
- Water transport vehicles
Deep wells are not approved, regularly tested, maintained, and are kept open. Therefore, it is not an accepted source of potable water.
12.
A cook is vomiting or has diarrhea. What must a manager do?
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Report the situation to the regulatory authority.
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Have the food handler wear gloves when handling food.
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Instruct the food handler to wash their hands twice as often.
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Call a medical practitioner to prescribe medication to the cook before starting work.
Correct answer: Report the situation to the regulatory authority.
If a food handler is vomiting or has diarrhea and has been diagnosed with an illness caused by one of these pathogens:
- Norovirus
- Shigella spp.
- Nontyphoidal Salmonella
- Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC)
- Hepatitis A
- Salmonella typhi
The manager must:
- Exclude the food handler from the operation
- Report the situation to the regulatory authority
- Work with the medical practitioner and the local regulatory authority
Requiring the food handler to wear gloves when handling food does not stop the fecal-oral route of the pathogen. Having the food handler take medication onsite is not acceptable because a food handler must be symptom-free for 24 hours before handling food. Instructing the food handler to wash their hands twice as often will not ensure that pathogen transfer will not occur.
13.
Which behavior is a sign that the customer has impaired motor coordination?
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Spilling drinks
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Becoming quiet
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Being forgetful
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Feeling depressed
Correct answer: Spilling drinks
Customers should be observed for changes in voice volume, mood, or balance. Talk to each customer to observe when:
- their inhibitions relax (they become overly friendly, unfriendly, depressed, or quiet; they become loud, make rude comments, or use foul language)
- their judgement becomes impaired (they begin complaining about drink strength, begin drinking faster or switch to larger or stronger drinks, make irrational or argumentative statements, or become careless with money)
- their reaction time slows (they talk or move slowly, lose concentration, train of thought, or become forgetful; they become drowsy, glassy eyed, or unable to keep focus and keep eye contact)
- their motor coordination changes (they stagger, stumble, fall, bump into things, sway when moving, drop things or are unable to pick things up, spill drinks or miss their mouth, or slur their speech)
Keep in mind, experienced drinkers can drink a lot and show no signs, but tolerance to alcohol does not affect someone’s BAC. Inexperienced drinkers often show signs after only a small amount of alcohol.
14.
Which type of thermometer uses the ice-point calibration method?
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Bimetallic stemmed thermometer
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Time and temperature indicators
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Maximum registering thermometer
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Thermocouple and thermistor
Correct answer: Bimetallic stemmed thermometer
Bimetallic stemmed thermometers can be adjusted onsite and do not require external calibration, therefore, ice point method is done.
Time and temperature indicators (TTI) , and maximum registering thermometers (MRT) cannot be calibrated. For digital thermometers like thermocouples and thermistors, it is best to follow the manufacturer's guidelines for calibration.
15.
Which of the following is the definition of gender expression?
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Gender-related appearance or behavior, may or may not be associated with the person's sex at birth
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Internal understanding of one's own gender
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Emotional, romantic, sexual attraction to another person
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Gender identity differs from the person's sex at birth. A transgender person may or may not have a gender expression that is different from the expectations of the sex assigned at birth.
Correct answer: Gender-related appearance or behavior, may or may not be associated with the person's sex at birth
Definition of terms:
- Gender identity - internal understanding of one's own gender
- Gender expression - gender-related appearance or behavior, may or may not be associated with the person's sex at birth
- Sexual orientation - emotional, romantic, sexual attraction to another person
- Transgender - gender identity differs from the person's sex at birth. A transgender person may or may not have a gender expression that is different from the expectations of the sex assigned at birth.
- Transitioning - to begin living with the gender with which they identify rather than the sex assigned to them at birth
16.
What is the first step that should be taken when there is a suspected foodborne illness?
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Separate and set aside the suspected food, and label with "do not use" and "do not discard".
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Gather information from supplier, storage, preparation and serving of the food.
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Call the authorities, and cooperate with them for investigation.
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Review procedures, and revise if deemed necessary.
Correct answer: Separate and set aside the suspected food, and label with "do not use" and "do not discard".
The following are the steps that must be done when investigating a foodborne illness:
- Segregate product
- Gather information
- Document information
- Identify staff
- Notify authorities
- Cooperate with authorities
- Review procedures
Since there is a suspected foodborne illness, the first step is to prevent the spread by separating and setting aside the suspected food, and labeling with DO NOT USE and DO NOT DISCARD. Do not use to prevent further spread, and do not discard for laboratory analysis. Once this is done, other procedures can immediately follow.
The other options are incorrect because if they are done first, and the suspected food is still being served, then the spread of the foodborne illness is not controlled immediately.
- Gather information from supplier, storage, preparation and serving of the food.
- Call the authorities, and cooperate with them for investigation.
- Review procedures, and revise if deemed necessary.
17.
Zach is a manager in a restaurant. As such, he is responsible for overseeing the food allergy policy of the establishment. Which of the following must he implement as first steps in food allergen management?
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Staff training, supplier accreditation, receiving standards
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Storage guidelines, avoiding cross-contact, color coding of plates
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Menu substitution planning, communicating with servers
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Investigating food allergy emergency, recall procedures
Correct answer: Staff training, supplier accreditation, receiving standards
All the answers must be included in food allergy management. However, staff training, supplier accreditation, and receiving standards are the first steps in food handling, therefore must be the first steps in food allergy management.
All staff must be trained in basic food allergies. Suppliers must declare ingredients in food supplies, and inform the establishment of any changes. During receiving, labels must be checked accordingly.
18.
Shayne will be in charge of a table that has previously been reserved for dinner, and has been informed that two guests have food allergies. How should Shayne prepare the table for the guests?
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Use a single-use paper towel, cleaner, and sanitizer in spray bottles to clean and sanitize the tables and chairs prior to the party's arrival.
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Use the wiping cloths in the cleaner and sanitizer buckets to clean and sanitize the tables and chairs prior to the party's arrival.
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Use a single-use paper towel, cleaner, and sanitizer in spray bottles to clean and sanitize the tables first thing in the morning.
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Use the wiping cloths in the cleaner and sanitizer buckets to clean and sanitize the tables first thing in the morning.
Correct answer: Use a single-use paper towel, cleaner, and sanitizer in spray bottles to clean and sanitize the tables and chairs prior to the party's arrival.
To ensure that the tables and chairs are cleaned and sanitized, and avoid cross-contact, the use of single-use paper towels is preferred over the use of wiping cloths.
The use of spray bottles is preferred over the use of sanitizing buckets. This is because we might not see that the wiping cloths have picked up food proteins and can cause cross-contact. Also, the timing of cleaning and sanitizing is important. It must be done prior to the party's arrival to ensure that there is no recontamination.
19.
How many drinks are in a margarita with 2 oz tequila (80 proof) and 1 oz Grand Marnier (80 proof)?
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Two drinks
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Three drinks
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One drink
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One and a half drinks
Correct answer: Two drinks
Divide 3 ounces by 1.5 ounces, the amount of 80-proof liquor in one standard drink, to get two drinks.
20.
After which activity must a server wash their hands?
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Clearing up tables
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Putting on single-use gloves
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Stacking up clean plates
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Applying hand sanitizer
Correct answer: Clearing up tables
Clearing tables contaminates hands because the server is handling used plates, cups, glasses and cutlery. The other activities require washing hands prior.
- Hands must be washed before putting on single-use gloves. Gloves must not be washed or rinsed.
- Hands must be washed before stacking up clean plates. Since the plates are already cleaned, not washing hands before will cause cross contamination.
- Hands must be washed before applying hand sanitizer.