Food handler practice test

not use it and report it, because working containers must show the common name of the chemical.

Working containers of cleaners, sanitizers and disinfectants taken from bulk supplies must be clearly and individually identified with the common name of the material. Unlabeled bottles are one of the most common causes of chemical contamination, because someone eventually uses the wrong product on a food surface.

Source: FDA Food Code, § 7-102.11

41°F or less.

Cold holding is 41°F or less. Many kitchens run coolers at 38°F to leave a margin, but 41°F is the line. The one exception is untreated shell eggs, which are stored in equipment maintaining an ambient air temperature of 45°F or less.

Source: FDA Food Code, § 3-501.16(A)(2)

In a designated area where food and clean equipment cannot be contaminated

Employees may eat, drink or use tobacco only in designated areas where contamination of exposed food, clean equipment, utensils and linens, and unwrapped single-service articles cannot result. The one exception at a work station is drinking from a closed beverage container handled so it does not contaminate your hands, the container, or the food.

Source: FDA Food Code, § 2-401.11(A)

slice the tomatoes first, then clean and sanitize the board before the chicken.

Do ready-to-eat food first, then raw. If the cleaning step is imperfect, the chicken will still be cooked afterwards, whereas the tomatoes will not. Where separate equipment is not available, prepare different types at different times with cleaning and sanitizing in between.

Source: FDA Food Code, § 3-302.11(A)(2)

trimmed, filed, and maintained so the edges and surfaces are cleanable.

Nails must be trimmed, filed and maintained so the edges and surfaces are cleanable and not rough. Separately, unless you are wearing intact gloves in good repair, you may not wear nail polish or artificial nails when working with exposed food. The area under the fingernails holds the largest concentration of microbes on the hand and is the hardest part to clean.

Source: FDA Food Code, § 2-302.11(A)

at the frequency specified by the manufacturer, or absent that, as needed to preclude soil or mold accumulation.

Ice bins, beverage dispensing nozzles, ice makers, syrup lines, coffee bean grinders and similar enclosed components must be cleaned at the manufacturer's specified frequency, or absent specifications, as often as needed to preclude accumulation of soil or mold. These are dark, damp, enclosed spaces where mold grows unseen.

Source: FDA Food Code, § 4-602.11(E)(4)

in a chemical sanitizer solution at the required concentration.

Cloths in use for wiping counters and equipment surfaces must be held between uses in a chemical sanitizer solution at the specified concentration and laundered daily. A damp cloth sitting on a counter is an incubator; the sanitizer bucket is what stops the cloth becoming the thing that spreads contamination around the kitchen.

Source: FDA Food Code, § 3-304.14(B)(1)

Frequently enough to identify and correct a deviation before food falls below 135°F for an unacceptable period

The Code sets the holding temperature rather than a monitoring interval, and leaves frequency to the operation's own monitoring system. That is what active managerial control means in practice: the person in charge sets a frequency that will actually catch a deviation in time and then verifies it is being followed. Most operations settle on every two hours or less.

Source: FDA Food Code, § 3-501.16(A)(1)

tell your manager and use clean, sanitized equipment and fresh gloves for their order.

Allergen control is physical separation: clean and sanitize any equipment or utensils that contacted the allergen, change gloves, and tell the manager so the whole order is handled correctly. Cooking does not destroy allergens and removing visible pieces does not remove the protein that already transferred.

Source: FDA Food Code, § 4-602.11

Raw whole chicken

Storage order follows required cooking temperature: the higher the temperature, the lower the shelf. Poultry at 165°F goes on the bottom, then ground meats at 155°F, then whole cuts and fish at 145°F, with ready-to-eat food on top. The logic is that drips fall onto food that will be cooked hotter.

Source: FDA Food Code, § 3-302.11(A)(2)