Prepping and Cooking – Both/Neither Practice Questions

Prevent cross-contamination by using separate equipment for each food type. Prevent cross-contact by using separate equipment for foods with allergens.

This process softens meat by piercing it with needles or blades, making it easier to chew. Tenderized meat must be cooked to 155°F because bacteria can move inside the food.

Yellow cutting boards designate raw poultry. Red is for raw meat, green for produce. Color-coding prevents cross-contamination by clearly identifying equipment use. Clean and sanitize all boards between uses.

Clean and sanitize before and after each task, when working with different food types, after interruptions, and after four hours continuous use. Use separate equipment for raw and ready-to-eat food.

After checking one spot, you must check another area to ensure the temperature is even, and then record the time the temperature was taken for documentation.

TCS leftovers can only be used in a new dish if they were handled safely through the entire process and are used within seven days of the original cook date. The label on the new dish should use the date of the oldest ingredient.

Food that is not presented honestly (e.g., color is altered, or it is misrepresented) is considered contaminated and must be thrown out as a corrective action.

Bacteria need nutrients like carbohydrates and protein to grow. TCS food contains these nutrients.

Immersion probes check liquid temps. Other thermocouple/thermistor probes: surface for flat equipment, penetration for internal temps of thin/thick food, air for checking cooler and oven air temps.

Thermometers measure food temps accurately. Keep them clean, sanitized, and calibrated. Never rely on holding unit gauges. Use correct thermometer types for different tasks. Calibrate before each shift.

Train staff on policies and procedures for controlling time and temperature. Monitor compliance. Take corrective action if standards aren't met. Provide thermometers and forms to record temperatures and times.

Less handling means fewer opportunities for time-temperature abuse and cross-contamination. Prepared foods require less time in the temperature danger zone and reduce pathogen transfer risk from improper handling.

After reaching the minimum temperature, the food must hold that temperature for the required time to ensure the destruction of all harmful pathogens. This is crucial for poultry (165°F for an instant).

Time is used to control pathogen growth by strictly limiting the total time food spends in the TDZ (41°F to 135°F) to a maximum of four hours to minimize the opportunity for pathogens to multiply.

Surface probes check flat cooking equipment temps like griddles. Other probe types: immersion for liquids, penetration for internal food temps, air for checking temperatures inside coolers and ovens.

Containers should be made of stainless steel, which conducts heat better, and must be shallow (no more than 4 inches deep) to cool the food quickly and move it through the TDZ fast.

Food thawed in a microwave must be cooked immediately using a conventional cooking method, NOT by continuing to microwave it, because microwaves cook unevenly.

Large sensing area from tip to dimple works well for thick food. Entire sensing area must be inserted for accuracy. Not practical for thin food like hamburger patties or fish fillets.

Leafy greens (like lettuce and spinach) need extra care when washing because dirt and pathogens can stick to the inner leaves, so they must be separated and rinsed thoroughly.

Pasteurized eggs must be used for pooling when preparing food for a high-risk population (children, elderly, etc.) to minimize the risk of foodborne illness.