Food Safety Regulations and Oversight

If service was stopped due to a crisis in your operation, besides correcting the problem, what should you ensure before requesting approval from your local regulatory authority to resume service?

What should you do if a food handler has jaundice for a week or less?

What government agency regulates the interstate commerce of food?

What example does ServSafe give for meeting the FDA recommendation for “time and temperature parameters for controlling pathogens”?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides civil rights protection to those with non-transmittable diseases. Which disease is NOT transmittable in food?

Which is a ServSafe guideline for using and storing chemicals?

Which government agency issues the model food code?

Before displaying or holding TCS food without temperature control, you must submit written procedures to your regulatory authority. What do you need to do once your procedures have been approved?

Which food preparation methods requires a variance from regulatory authorities?

Which government agency determines the food codes that regulate retail and food service operations?

Which of these are the responsibility of state and local regulatory authorities?

Why should you cooperate with medical staff and your regulatory authority when deciding to exclude or restrict a food handler?

These government agencies are responsible for protecting Americans from foodborne illness outbreaks:

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• The U.S. Public Health Service (PHS)
• State and local regulatory authorities

Which agencies create and enforce the regulations that your operation follows?

Which government agencies regulate chemical sanitizers?

Which government agencies conduct research into the causes of foodborne illness outbreaks?

What are the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) responsibilities related to protecting the public from foodborne illness?

Some jurisdictions allow employees to drink from a covered container in food prep areas as long as they avoid contaminating surfaces. How should the container be covered?

State and local regulatory authorities make the regulations that these establishments must follow:

• Restaurants
• Food retailers
• Vending operators
• Schools and daycare centers
• Hospitals and assisted living centers

What additional responsibilities do state and local regulatory authorities have for these establishments?

When “Identifying Staff” in response to a foodborne illness outbreak, what should you do with the staff who were scheduled at the time of the incident?

What kind of notice must be shown when a menu offers raw or undercooked TCS food items?

Why could your jurisdiction’s food safety regulations differ from the FDA’s Model Food Code?

According to national standards, food service equipment that has contact with food must be nonabsorbent, smooth, and corrosion-resistant. What organization created these standards?

Which is part of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?

Your jurisdictions may allow bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat (RTE) food if specific policies are followed and staff have been trained on personal hygiene and proper handwashing. What kind of policies must be implemented?

What standards must hand sanitizers and antiseptics comply with when used in a food service operation?

Some jurisdictions allow bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food if staff have been trained and specific policies about staff health are followed. What kind of training do staff need?

What happens when these criteria are met?

• A single food source is blamed for the same symptoms in multiple people
• Regulatory authorities perform an investigation
• Lab tests verify that the food is the source of the illness

Different kinds of food must reach different minimum internal temperatures for a specific amount of time to reduce pathogens to a safe level. What should be done if guests ask for their food to be cooked to a lower temperature?

Your supplier needs to know the pH of your water to determine the correct amount of sanitizer to use. How can you find out what the pH of your water is?

When does smoking food require a variance?

Which is a guideline for using food additives?

Which government agency is responsible for inspecting food?

Which is true about the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF)?

Which government agencies help the local regulatory authorities investigate outbreaks?

Which of these establishments are regulated and inspected by local regulatory authorities?

Why can the codes regulating your operation differ from the FDA Model Food Code?

What example does ServSafe give for “controlling hands as a vehicle of contamination”?

What document can your regulatory authority issue that will allow a regulatory requirement to be waived or changed?

What example does ServSafe give for meeting the FDA recommendation for “staff health controls”?

What organization is NSF accredited by?

The light intensity can differ in each area of your operation. But, food prep areas are required to be the brightest in many jurisdictions. Why?

Which is a consumer advisory?

What government agency enforces the national standards for water in the U.S.?

When can food handlers wear false fingernails?

Which government agency inspects all food except meat, poultry, and eggs?

How can you know when there is a Food Recall Notice for a product you use in your operation?

When is it NOT acceptable to hold or display TCS food without temperature control?

Your regulatory authority may ask for proof that you have informed staff to let you know they are sick; it can be provided in the following ways (3).

What procedures should a food service operation establish to meet the FDA’s recommendation for “staff health controls”?

What is the difference between a disclosure and a reminder?

Which are responsibilities of state and local regulatory authorities?

What does a food safety specialist or food safety inspector do?

What establishments are regulated and inspected by local regulatory authorities?

What is often required before an operation can handle or prep food using the following methods?

• Packaging fresh juice on-site for sale at a later time
• Smoking food as a way to preserve it
• Preserve or alter the food so that it no longer needs time and temperature control for safety
• Curing food
• Custom-processing animals for personal use
• Packaging food using a reduced-oxygen packaging (ROP) method
• Sprouting seeds or beans
• Offering live shellfish from a display tank

When can you package fresh juice on-site for retail sale without a variance?

Which government agency regulates and inspects meat, poultry, and eggs?

What agency should approve dishwasher detergents and sanitizers?

A disclosure informs guests that the food is served raw or undercooked and can be put next to the item on the menu. What’s another way to note a disclosure on your menu?

What should you do if a food handler has been diagnosed with an illness caused by one of these pathogens?

• Hepatitis A
• Salmonella Typhi

When can an operation handle pooled eggs?

According to NSF/ANSI, what must have the following features if it will have contact with food?

• Smooth
• Nonabsorbent
• Corrosion-resistant

What tool did the FDA create to help you identify the points where food is at risk for deliberate contamination in your operation?

According to FDA recommendations, a food service manager should know how to keep food safe. How can you demonstrate your food safety knowledge to a health inspector?

How can your operation meet the FDA’s recommendation to “control hands as a vehicle of contamination?”

What kind of statement should be expressed in the notice of consumer advisory when serving raw or undercooked food?

In some jurisdictions, take-home beverage containers can be refilled for guests as long as what conditions are met?

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), what menu should NOT offer raw or undercooked meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs?

Which statement about the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is true?

What is a Reasonable Care Defense?

Which government agency created the acronym ALERT as a tool for operations to use when developing a food defense program?

What does the FDA provide for industry and other regulatory agencies?

What are OSHA’s regulations regarding Safety Data Sheets (SDS)?

Why are some local food codes different from the FDA’s model food code?

Specific requirements must be met at each step to par cooking food. What should the written procedures explain about these requirements to get approved by the local regulatory authority?

A supplier’s inspection reports can be from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or an authorized third party. What should the reports be based on?

Which government agencies assist the FDA, USDA, and state and local health departments?

Which of these Public Health Interventions were implemented by the he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to protect the public from foodborne illness?

Which government agency is responsible for these duties related to food safety?

• Inspecting operations
• Enforcing regulations
• Investigating complaints and illnesses
• Issuing licenses and permits
• Approving construction
• Reviewing and approving HACCP plans

When could your regulatory authority require you to submit a HACCP plan?

Which of these are common duties for food safety specialists and food safety inspectors?

Which areas should be addressed in a suppliers inspection reports?

What term do local regulatory authorities use to describe “a significant threat or danger to health that requires immediate correction or closure of the operation to prevent injury”?

If you determine a significant risk to food safety due to a crisis in your operation, what should be done immediately?

What should customers be advised about when they order a TCS food item that is served raw or undercooked?

What must be followed when disposing of chemicals?

Which government agencies are responsible for protecting the public from foodborne illness?

Which of these methods of food preparation require a variance from your regulatory authority?

Why are food handlers NOT allowed to wear nail polish in some jurisdictions?

Which agency inspects food to ensure its safety?

Under what condition is a label NOT required for bulk unpackaged food in a self-service area?

Guests must be reminded that eating raw or undercooked food increases their chance of getting a foodborne illness. This is called a reminder. They are often put in the places listed here:

• The menu
• Brochures
• Table-tents
• Signs

What is the recommended way of putting it on the menu?

Why do many jurisdictions require food prep areas to be brightest?

If your menu includes items that are served raw or undercooked, what kind of notice must be given to customers?

When is it acceptable to serve TCS food that has NOT been cooked to its required minimum internal temperature?

How can you prove to your regulatory authority that you have informed staff to let you know they are sick?

Which statements are true about health inspectors?

Install stationary equipment in a way that makes it easy to clean and easy to clean around. What else should be considered when installing stationary equipment?

Your suppliers must be inspected by the USDA, the FDA, or an authorized third party. How can approved, reputable suppliers prove this?

What requires manufactured products containing one or more of the big eight allergens to clearly identify them on the ingredient label?

How do you know when the manufacturer recalled a food product used in your operation?

Which government agency regulates food transported across state lines?

According to ServSafe, food equipment should be easy to clean, durable, and damage-resistant. What are the standards for food equipment according to NSF/ANSI?

What standards do hand sanitizers and antiseptics need to comply with?

According to the FDA, what foods should NOT be offered on a children’s menu if they are served raw or undercooked?

How does the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protect the public from foodborne illness?

After finding out what your water hardness is from your municipality, who should you work with to identify the correct amount of sanitizer to use?

How can your operation meet the FDA’s recommendation to have time and temperature parameters for controlling pathogens?

What does the FDA provide for city, county, state, and tribal agencies?

The FDA has given these five specific recommendations for controlling the common risk factors for foodborne illness:

• Demonstration of knowledge
• Staff health controls
• Controlling hands as a vehicle of contamination
• Time and temperature parameters for controlling pathogens
• Consumer advisories

What are these recommendations known as?

What kind of food safety regulations are in the FDA Model Food Code?

How will you know if a product you purchased is recalled by the manufacturer?

How does a state or local regulatory authority determine which food safety regulations to include in their food code?

What does an operation need to have before it can par-cook food?

When is it acceptable to use glass thermometers in food service?

When a food handler has been restricted or excluded due to illness caused by a Big Six Pathogen, who will determine when they can safely return to the operation or work with food?

The dishwasher should be checked everyday and cleaned as needed. How should the dishwasher be cleaned?

What government agencies are responsible for the protecting the public from foodborne illness outbreaks?

Which government agency regulates food that crosses state boundaries or involves more than one state?

Some jurisdictions allow holding TCS food without temperature control if the time is limited. The limits are four hours for hot food and six hours for cold food. What must be done with this food before the time limit is up?