Servsafe Manager UPDATED ACTUAL
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Costs of a Foodborne Illness to an Operation - CORRECT ANSWERS Loss of customers,
sales and reputation, negative media exposure, lowered staff morale, lawsuits and legal fees, staff
missing work, increased insurance premiums, staff retraining
Contaminants - CORRECT ANSWERS Biological (pathogens like viruses, fungi)
Chemical (chemicals to clean contaminate food)
Physical (metal shaving, bandages, staples, fish bones)
How food becomes Unsafe? - CORRECT ANSWERS Purchasing food from unsafe
sources, failing to cook food correctly, holding food at incorrect temp, using contaminated
equipment, practicing poor personal hygiene
Foods most likely to become unsafe (TCS food- food requiring time and temp control for safety)
- CORRECT ANSWERS milk and dairy, eggs (expect those treated), meat, poultry, fish,
shellfish, baked potatoes, heat-treated plant food like cooked rice, beans, vegetables, tofu or soy
protein, sprouts, sliced melons, cut tomatoes or leafy green and untreated garlic and oil mixtures
Who is at high risk food borne illnesses? - CORRECT ANSWERS Elderly, preschool-age
children, people with compromised immune system (HIV/AIDS, cancer, certain meds)
Keeping food Safe - CORRECT ANSWERS Controlling time and temp, preventing cross-
contamination, practicing personal hygiene, purchasing from approved, reputable suppliers,
cleaning and sanitizing
The role of the FDA - CORRECT ANSWERS Inspects all food except meat, poultry, and
eggs. Regulates food transported across state lines. Regulate foodservice for: restaurants and
retail food stores, vending operations, school and day care centers, hospitals and nursing homes
,Other Agencies - CORRECT ANSWERS USDA- dep. of agriculture; inspects meat,
poultry, eggs
CDC and PHS- assist FDA, USDA, and local health dep., conduct research and assist in
investigating
Where do contamination come from? - CORRECT ANSWERS Many are found in
animals; other comes from air, contaminated water and dirt; some occur naturally in food like
bones in fish
How contamination passed along? - CORRECT ANSWERS From person to person,
through sneezing or vomiting onto food or food-contact surfaces, from touching dirty food-
contact surfaces and equipment and then touching food
Biological contamination - CORRECT ANSWERS Many microorganisms are harmless,
but some can cause illness; harmful microorganisms are called pathogens.
FDA says there are over 40 different kinds of bacteria, virus, parasites, and mold. Out of these
the Big Six include:
Shigella spp., Salmonella, Nontyphoidal salmonella (NTS), Shiga toxin producing E. coil, Hep
A, Norovirus
Signs of food borne illness - CORRECT ANSWERS Diarrhea, vomiting, fever, nausea,
abdominal cramps, jaundice
Bacteria - CORRECT ANSWERS Can cause food borne illness; Location: found almost
anywhere, Growth: If FAT TOM conditions are correct it will grow rapidly, Prevention: control
time and temp
What Bacteria needs to grow? - CORRECT ANSWERS 1. Food: need nutrients to survive,
TCS food support growth better than other types of food
2. Acidity: grow best in food with little/no acid (7-14 on pH)
3.Temp: grow rapidly btw 41-135 F (this is danger zone); grow more rapidly btw 70 to 125 F
4. Time: need time to grow; more time in danger zone more opportunity they have to grow
, 5. Oxygen: some bacteria need O to grow; others don't
6. Moisture: grow more in high levels of moisture; amount of moisture is called water activity
(scale ranges 0.0 to 10.00)
Major Bacteria that Cause Food borne Illness - CORRECT ANSWERS Four in particular
that are highly contagious:
Salmonella Typhi, Nontyphoidal salmonella (NTS), Shigella spp. and Shiga toxin producing E.
coli
Salmonella Typhi - CORRECT ANSWERS Bacteria; Carried in bloodstream and intestinal
tract of humans; comes from ready to eat foods and beverages; Prevent: wash hands, cook find to
minimum internal temp, don't allow servers/chef to work with this illness
Nontyphoidal Salmonella - CORRECT ANSWERS Bacteria; many farm animals carry this
naturally; comes from poultry, eggs, meat, milk, dairy, produce like tomatoes, peppers and
cantaloupes; Prevent: cook to min. internal temp., prevent cross-contamination, don't allow
servers/chefs who are vomiting or diarrhea
Shigella spp. - CORRECT ANSWERS Bacteria; found in feces; flies can spread this;
comes from food that is easily contaminated like TCS food, and food that has made contact with
contaminated water like produce
Prevent: wash hands, control flies, don't allow servers/chefs who have diarrhea
E. coli - CORRECT ANSWERS Bacteria; found in the intestines of cattle; produce toxins
in a person's intestines;comes from ground beef (raw and undercooked), contaminated produce;
Prevent: cook completely, get from approved suppliers, prevent cross-contamination
Viruses - CORRECT ANSWERS Location: carried by humans and animals cause they
required living host and don't grow in food but can be transferred through food; Sources: from
food, water or any contaminated surface; Destruction: not destroyed by normal cooking temp
Major viruses: Hep A and Norovirus
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Costs of a Foodborne Illness to an Operation - CORRECT ANSWERS Loss of customers,
sales and reputation, negative media exposure, lowered staff morale, lawsuits and legal fees, staff
missing work, increased insurance premiums, staff retraining
Contaminants - CORRECT ANSWERS Biological (pathogens like viruses, fungi)
Chemical (chemicals to clean contaminate food)
Physical (metal shaving, bandages, staples, fish bones)
How food becomes Unsafe? - CORRECT ANSWERS Purchasing food from unsafe
sources, failing to cook food correctly, holding food at incorrect temp, using contaminated
equipment, practicing poor personal hygiene
Foods most likely to become unsafe (TCS food- food requiring time and temp control for safety)
- CORRECT ANSWERS milk and dairy, eggs (expect those treated), meat, poultry, fish,
shellfish, baked potatoes, heat-treated plant food like cooked rice, beans, vegetables, tofu or soy
protein, sprouts, sliced melons, cut tomatoes or leafy green and untreated garlic and oil mixtures
Who is at high risk food borne illnesses? - CORRECT ANSWERS Elderly, preschool-age
children, people with compromised immune system (HIV/AIDS, cancer, certain meds)
Keeping food Safe - CORRECT ANSWERS Controlling time and temp, preventing cross-
contamination, practicing personal hygiene, purchasing from approved, reputable suppliers,
cleaning and sanitizing
The role of the FDA - CORRECT ANSWERS Inspects all food except meat, poultry, and
eggs. Regulates food transported across state lines. Regulate foodservice for: restaurants and
retail food stores, vending operations, school and day care centers, hospitals and nursing homes
,Other Agencies - CORRECT ANSWERS USDA- dep. of agriculture; inspects meat,
poultry, eggs
CDC and PHS- assist FDA, USDA, and local health dep., conduct research and assist in
investigating
Where do contamination come from? - CORRECT ANSWERS Many are found in
animals; other comes from air, contaminated water and dirt; some occur naturally in food like
bones in fish
How contamination passed along? - CORRECT ANSWERS From person to person,
through sneezing or vomiting onto food or food-contact surfaces, from touching dirty food-
contact surfaces and equipment and then touching food
Biological contamination - CORRECT ANSWERS Many microorganisms are harmless,
but some can cause illness; harmful microorganisms are called pathogens.
FDA says there are over 40 different kinds of bacteria, virus, parasites, and mold. Out of these
the Big Six include:
Shigella spp., Salmonella, Nontyphoidal salmonella (NTS), Shiga toxin producing E. coil, Hep
A, Norovirus
Signs of food borne illness - CORRECT ANSWERS Diarrhea, vomiting, fever, nausea,
abdominal cramps, jaundice
Bacteria - CORRECT ANSWERS Can cause food borne illness; Location: found almost
anywhere, Growth: If FAT TOM conditions are correct it will grow rapidly, Prevention: control
time and temp
What Bacteria needs to grow? - CORRECT ANSWERS 1. Food: need nutrients to survive,
TCS food support growth better than other types of food
2. Acidity: grow best in food with little/no acid (7-14 on pH)
3.Temp: grow rapidly btw 41-135 F (this is danger zone); grow more rapidly btw 70 to 125 F
4. Time: need time to grow; more time in danger zone more opportunity they have to grow
, 5. Oxygen: some bacteria need O to grow; others don't
6. Moisture: grow more in high levels of moisture; amount of moisture is called water activity
(scale ranges 0.0 to 10.00)
Major Bacteria that Cause Food borne Illness - CORRECT ANSWERS Four in particular
that are highly contagious:
Salmonella Typhi, Nontyphoidal salmonella (NTS), Shigella spp. and Shiga toxin producing E.
coli
Salmonella Typhi - CORRECT ANSWERS Bacteria; Carried in bloodstream and intestinal
tract of humans; comes from ready to eat foods and beverages; Prevent: wash hands, cook find to
minimum internal temp, don't allow servers/chef to work with this illness
Nontyphoidal Salmonella - CORRECT ANSWERS Bacteria; many farm animals carry this
naturally; comes from poultry, eggs, meat, milk, dairy, produce like tomatoes, peppers and
cantaloupes; Prevent: cook to min. internal temp., prevent cross-contamination, don't allow
servers/chefs who are vomiting or diarrhea
Shigella spp. - CORRECT ANSWERS Bacteria; found in feces; flies can spread this;
comes from food that is easily contaminated like TCS food, and food that has made contact with
contaminated water like produce
Prevent: wash hands, control flies, don't allow servers/chefs who have diarrhea
E. coli - CORRECT ANSWERS Bacteria; found in the intestines of cattle; produce toxins
in a person's intestines;comes from ground beef (raw and undercooked), contaminated produce;
Prevent: cook completely, get from approved suppliers, prevent cross-contamination
Viruses - CORRECT ANSWERS Location: carried by humans and animals cause they
required living host and don't grow in food but can be transferred through food; Sources: from
food, water or any contaminated surface; Destruction: not destroyed by normal cooking temp
Major viruses: Hep A and Norovirus
