ServSafe Food Handler Practice Test 2: Cooking, Allergens & Contamination

Questions, answers (marked ✓) and explanations are below. For the interactive version, enable JavaScript.

1. Hot TCS food on a buffet line, like fried chicken under heat lamps, must be held at or above:

   • 120°F (49°C)
   • 130°F (54°C)
   • 135°F (57°C)
   • 155°F (68°C)

   Hot holding for TCS food is 135°F (57°C) or above, the top edge of the danger zone. Below that, bacteria start multiplying even in food that was cooked correctly.

2. What is the minimum internal cooking temperature for a ground beef burger patty?

   • 135°F (57°C)
   • 145°F (63°C)
   • 155°F (68°C)
   • 175°F (79°C)

   Ground meats must reach at least 155°F (68°C), held briefly per the current FDA Food Code. Grinding spreads surface bacteria through the whole patty, so ground beef needs a higher temp than a whole steak (145°F).

3. Leftover soup is being reheated for hot holding. It must reach what temperature, within what time?

   • 135°F within 4 hours
   • 145°F within 3 hours
   • 165°F within 2 hours
   • 185°F within 1 hour

   Food reheated for hot holding must hit 165°F (74°C) within 2 hours. If it can't get there in time, it has spent too long in the danger zone and must be thrown out.

4. Which of the following is one of the nine major food allergens recognized in the US?

   • Mustard
   • Celery
   • Sesame
   • Strawberries

   Sesame became the ninth major US allergen in 2023 under the FASTER Act, joining milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans. (Mustard and celery are regulated allergens in other countries, not the US.)

5. Which TWO of the following are physical contaminants?

   • A strand of hair in a salad
   • Metal shavings from a worn can opener
   • Sanitizer residue left on a cutting board
   • Salmonella bacteria on raw chicken

   Physical contaminants are objects that get into food: hair, metal, glass, bandages, staples. Sanitizer residue is a chemical contaminant; bacteria are biological contaminants.

6. When must a food handler change single-use gloves?

   • Only when the gloves look dirty
   • After handling raw chicken and before touching ready-to-eat food
   • Once per shift is enough
   • Never, gloves replace the need to change or wash

   Gloves must be changed when switching from raw food to ready-to-eat food, when they tear or get soiled, and after interruptions in a task, with a hand wash before the new pair. Gloves are a barrier, not a substitute for clean hands.

7. In a three-compartment sink, what is the correct order of steps?

   • Sanitize, wash, rinse
   • Rinse, wash, sanitize
   • Wash, rinse, sanitize
   • Wash, sanitize, rinse

   Wash in hot soapy water, rinse in clean water, then sanitize, and air-dry. Rinsing before sanitizing matters because leftover detergent can make the sanitizer less effective.

8. Where should cleaning chemicals like degreaser and sanitizer be stored?

   • On a shelf above the prep table, for easy access
   • In a separate area away from food, in clearly labeled containers
   • Next to the hand sink
   • In dry storage, between the flour and the rice

   Chemicals must be stored away from and never above food, equipment or utensils, and always in labeled containers. A chemical stored over a prep area is one spill away from contaminating everything below it.

9. A delivery of fresh fish arrives at an internal temperature of 50°F (10°C). What should you do?

   • Accept it and cook it as soon as possible
   • Reject the delivery
   • Accept it if the fish smells normal
   • Accept it and move it straight to the freezer

   Cold TCS food must arrive at 41°F (5°C) or below. Fish at 50°F has been sitting in the danger zone, you can't tell for how long, so the safe call is to reject it at the door.

10. Which piece of jewelry is a food handler allowed to wear while prepping food?

    • A wristwatch
    • A charm bracelet
    • A plain band ring
    • A ring with stones in the setting

    Only a plain band (like a smooth wedding ring) is allowed. Watches, bracelets and stone-set rings trap food and bacteria and can shed parts into food, a physical contamination risk.