ServSafe Cheat Sheet FINAL EXAM STUDY
GUIDE 2025/2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS BANK
AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH
RATIONALES || 100% GUARANTEED PASS
<BRAND NEW VERSION>
1. FDA - ANSWER ✓ Food and Drug Administration, governing
body for
food safety
2. Main Sources of Contamination (8) - ANSWER ✓ Ingredients,
Water, Air, Soil, Pests, Food Handlers (Co-opers), Food Contact
Surfaces, Packaging Materials
3. CDC's Most Common Factors (5) - ANSWER ✓ Unsafe Sources,
Inadequate Cooking, Holding Temps, Contaminated Equipment,
Poor Personal Hygiene
4. Poultry (whole or ground, reheated,
microwaved & stuffed) temperature - ANSWER ✓ 165F
5. All ground meats except poultry temperature - ANSWER ✓ 155F
6. Solid cuts of meat - ANSWER ✓ 145F
7. Eggs (2) - ANSWER ✓ 145F immediate service, 155F hot-
holding/IES
8. Vegetables - ANSWER ✓ 135F
,9. FATTOM - ANSWER ✓ a. Food (high) in protein (milk, meat,
fish)
b. Acidity (low) pH 4.6-7.5 (water is 7.0)
c. Temperature 41F -135F is the TDZ
d. Time - max 4 hours in the TDZ
e. Oxygen can be aerobic or anaerobic
f. Moisture water activity level (Aw) .85 or greater, water has an
Aw of 1.0
10. TCS - ANSWER ✓ Time and Temperature Control for
Safety
11. 2 stage cooling process - ANSWER ✓ 135F - 70F within 2
hours and 70F-41F within 4 additional hours
6 hours total ok b/c constant cooling
12. Cooling food - 3S's and 3I's - ANSWER ✓ Smaller, Shallow
pans (≤ 4" deep), Stir
Ice bath, Ice wand, Ice directly
Methods of Thawing - C.R.O.W.
13. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) -
ANSWER ✓ Prevention-based system
Variance
1st step - hazard analysis
2nd step - critical control point
14. Bacteria - ANSWER ✓ Freezing or refrigerating does not
kill.
15. E. Coli (Escherichia coli) *Exclude/Report - ANSWER ✓ i.
Ground beef & tainted produce
ii. Major illness is Hemorrhagic Colitis
, iii. Cook ground beef to final internal temp of 155F for 15 seconds
16. Salmonella *Exclude/Report - ANSWER ✓ i. Poultry and
Dairy Products
ii. Cook to a final internal cook temp of 165F for 15 seconds
17. Clostridium Botulinum - ANSWER ✓ i. Anaerobic - does not
require oxygen to live
ii. MAP, ROP
iii. Baked Potatoes in foil
iv. Garlic and oil mixtures
v. Reject dented/swollen cans
18. Listeria - ANSWER ✓ i. Grows as low as 37F
ii. Lunch and deli meats (L&L)
19. Shigella *Exclude/Report - ANSWER ✓ i. Fecal
Contamination
ii. Properly wash hands
20. Staphylococcus Aureus - ANSWER ✓ i. Found on saliva and
skin
ii. Staph = people - 50-70% carry it
21. Cutting boards - ANSWER ✓ hard wood/heavy-duty plastic
22. Thermometer calibration - ANSWER ✓ a. 32F - crushed ice
mixed with water
b. 212F - boiling water
23. Cross connection is the mixing of potable and non-potable
water supply - ANSWER ✓ a. Back-siphonage or backflow occurs
when pressure in the potable (or drinkable) water supply
GUIDE 2025/2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS BANK
AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH
RATIONALES || 100% GUARANTEED PASS
<BRAND NEW VERSION>
1. FDA - ANSWER ✓ Food and Drug Administration, governing
body for
food safety
2. Main Sources of Contamination (8) - ANSWER ✓ Ingredients,
Water, Air, Soil, Pests, Food Handlers (Co-opers), Food Contact
Surfaces, Packaging Materials
3. CDC's Most Common Factors (5) - ANSWER ✓ Unsafe Sources,
Inadequate Cooking, Holding Temps, Contaminated Equipment,
Poor Personal Hygiene
4. Poultry (whole or ground, reheated,
microwaved & stuffed) temperature - ANSWER ✓ 165F
5. All ground meats except poultry temperature - ANSWER ✓ 155F
6. Solid cuts of meat - ANSWER ✓ 145F
7. Eggs (2) - ANSWER ✓ 145F immediate service, 155F hot-
holding/IES
8. Vegetables - ANSWER ✓ 135F
,9. FATTOM - ANSWER ✓ a. Food (high) in protein (milk, meat,
fish)
b. Acidity (low) pH 4.6-7.5 (water is 7.0)
c. Temperature 41F -135F is the TDZ
d. Time - max 4 hours in the TDZ
e. Oxygen can be aerobic or anaerobic
f. Moisture water activity level (Aw) .85 or greater, water has an
Aw of 1.0
10. TCS - ANSWER ✓ Time and Temperature Control for
Safety
11. 2 stage cooling process - ANSWER ✓ 135F - 70F within 2
hours and 70F-41F within 4 additional hours
6 hours total ok b/c constant cooling
12. Cooling food - 3S's and 3I's - ANSWER ✓ Smaller, Shallow
pans (≤ 4" deep), Stir
Ice bath, Ice wand, Ice directly
Methods of Thawing - C.R.O.W.
13. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) -
ANSWER ✓ Prevention-based system
Variance
1st step - hazard analysis
2nd step - critical control point
14. Bacteria - ANSWER ✓ Freezing or refrigerating does not
kill.
15. E. Coli (Escherichia coli) *Exclude/Report - ANSWER ✓ i.
Ground beef & tainted produce
ii. Major illness is Hemorrhagic Colitis
, iii. Cook ground beef to final internal temp of 155F for 15 seconds
16. Salmonella *Exclude/Report - ANSWER ✓ i. Poultry and
Dairy Products
ii. Cook to a final internal cook temp of 165F for 15 seconds
17. Clostridium Botulinum - ANSWER ✓ i. Anaerobic - does not
require oxygen to live
ii. MAP, ROP
iii. Baked Potatoes in foil
iv. Garlic and oil mixtures
v. Reject dented/swollen cans
18. Listeria - ANSWER ✓ i. Grows as low as 37F
ii. Lunch and deli meats (L&L)
19. Shigella *Exclude/Report - ANSWER ✓ i. Fecal
Contamination
ii. Properly wash hands
20. Staphylococcus Aureus - ANSWER ✓ i. Found on saliva and
skin
ii. Staph = people - 50-70% carry it
21. Cutting boards - ANSWER ✓ hard wood/heavy-duty plastic
22. Thermometer calibration - ANSWER ✓ a. 32F - crushed ice
mixed with water
b. 212F - boiling water
23. Cross connection is the mixing of potable and non-potable
water supply - ANSWER ✓ a. Back-siphonage or backflow occurs
when pressure in the potable (or drinkable) water supply
