Time and Temperature

What is calibration?

Which is true about the sensing area on a bimetallic-stemmed thermometer?

Why are easy-to-read markings necessary on a bimetallic-stemmed thermometer?

What are the temperature requirements for the delivery of milk?

How can food handlers prevent cross-contamination and time-temperature abuse when preparing food?

What kind of food needs time and temperature control for safety?

What kind of thermometer can monitor both time and temperature?

How can time-temperature abuse be prevented when prepping food?

What should food handlers follow to avoid time-temperature abuse?

In what way should the markings be scaled on a bimetallic-stemmed thermometer?

Food is time-temperature abused when it spends too much time in temperatures that promote pathogen growth (41°F to 135°F). What are some ways that this can happen?

You can verify that the cooler is working by randomly checking the temperature of the food stored inside. What should you do with the food if it’s NOT at the correct temperature?

Which seafood toxin is produced by pathogens in the fish during time-temperature abuse?

TCS stands for Time and Temperature Control for Safety. What does this mean for TCS food?

According to ServSafe, what should be done with a thermometer at each of these times?

• Before each shift
• Before deliveries arrive
• After they have been bumped or dropped
• After they have been exposed to extreme temperature changes

What kind of food is a bimetallic-stemmed thermometer good for checking the temperature?

What are the temperature requirements for the delivery of most cold TCS foods?

How should the temperature of food in hot holding be checked?

Both live and shucked shellfish may be received at an air temperature of 45°F at delivery. What additional temperature requirements does a delivery of live shellfish have?

Is it safe to use hot-holding equipment to reheat food?

What needs to be recorded to avoid time-temperature abuse?

Which statement is true about a surface probe?

What does ServSafe call food that requires time and temperature control for safety?

What kind of thermometer works well for checking the final rinse temperature of dishwashing machines?

What can a Maximum Registering Thermometer (MRT) be used for?

What type of thermometers are commonly used in operations?

How do you check the food temperature in regular, non-vacuum-sealed packages?

What kind of thermometer is less likely to cause cross-contamination or damage to food because it does NOT need to touch the food or surface to check its temperature?

What are the temperature requirements for the delivery of shell eggs?

Which statement is true about how the growth of bacteria is affected temperature?

These are the most common types of what, used in foodservice?

• Thermistors
• Thermocouples
• Bimetallic-stemmed

Which of these temperatures can an Air Probe Thermometer check?

Ice crystals or chunks of frozen liquids can be evidence of thawing and refreezing when found where?

When checking food temperatures with a bimetallic-stemmed thermometer, how long should you wait after inserting the stem into the food before recording the temperature?

Which is an example of a food that should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F for less than 1 second (instantaneous)?

We usually control temperatures to limit the growth of pathogens when holding or storing TCS food. But how can time be controlled to limit their growth?

What kind of food is a thermocouple and a thermistor good for checking the temperature?

Which is an example of a food that has been time-temperature abused?

Thermocouples and thermistors are similar types of thermometers that are commonly used in food service. Whats the difference between the two?

How can the temperature of food in reduced oxygen packaging (ROP) be measured without opening the package?

What will happen if any part of frozen food is exposed to the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ) while it’s being thawed?

Why should you make procedures for food preparation that limit the amount of food removed from a cooler at once?

What kind of food are thermocouple and thermistor thermometers suitable for checking the temperature of?

What can happen if food is time-temperature abused?

As the manager, what should you be concerned about to keep food safe as it flows through your operation?

What are surface probes used for?

How should you determine which thermometer to use when checking food temperatures?

How can illness from Biological Toxins be prevented?

Which statements are true about thermocouple and thermistor thermometers?

When food has been thawed and refrozen, it’s likely to have been time-temperature abused and should be rejected at delivery. What could be evidence that a food product has been thawed and refrozen?

Can all thermometers be calibrated?

What is a standard method for calibrating thermometers?

When food is NOT hot-held or served immediately after cooking, it must be removed from the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ) as quickly as possible. How can this be done?

Which bacteria can be prevented from causing a foodborne illness by controlling time and temperature?

What should you do when a thermometer loses its accuracy?

How long can food remain in the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ) before it must be thrown out?

How can the internal temperature of most packaged food be checked with a bimetalic-stemmed thermometer during inspection of a delivery?

How can food handlers avoid time-temperature abuse?

What does immediate service mean?

When checking the temperature of food, what part of the food should you insert the thermometer stem or probe?

What are some advantages of infrared (laser) thermometers?

Suppliers can attach tags to packages that monitor time and temperature during shipment and storage. An irreversible color change appears on the tags to alert when the product has been time-temperature abused. What are these tags called?

Which is true about Infrared (laser) Thermometers?

Which is a guideline for using glass thermometers?

Which probe should be attached to a thermocouple or thermistor thermometer when checking the internal temperature of food?

When the temperature of hot food falls into the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ), sometimes it can be restored to a safe condition by reheating it. This is called “reconditioning.” But when the food has been at an unsafe temperature for too long, reconditioning will NOT work. How much time can food spend in the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ) and still be reconditioned?

What part of the food should the thermometer probe or stem be inserted into when checking its temperature?

In what condition should a delivery of frozen food be received?

Bimetallic-stemmed thermometers are the most common type of thermometer in food service because they are useful throughout the Flow of Food. But what is a disadvantage with these thermometers?

What part of a bimetallic-stemmed thermometer measures temperatures?

Each storage unit must have at least one device that measures air temperature, like a hanging thermometer in a cooler. Where should the device be located in the storage unit?

How can time-temperature abuse be prevented?

When using the boiling-point method to calibrate a thermometer, what should the reading be adjusted to while measuring the temperature of boiling water?

What should be done as soon as possible once food has been cooked?

Which is a ServSafe guideline for checking the temperature of food?

To control its time in the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ), what should be done with food as soon as it has been prepped?

What kind of thermometer can measure temperature through glass, metal, or packaging?

What kind of thermometers have interchangeable probes?

What range of temperatures is known as the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ), where pathogens can grow rapidly?

Which statements are true about TCS food?

Some thermometers are NOT designed to be calibrated. What must be done with these thermometers when they lose their accuracy?

When checking temperatures with a bimetallic-stemmed thermometer, why must the stem be inserted into the food up to the dimple?

What are Penetration Probes useful for?

Which is true about time-temperature indicators (TTIs)?

Which of these statements are true about thermocouple and thermistor thermometers?

What should be avoided when checking the temperature of packaged food items?

The letters in FAT TOM represent the conditions that bacteria need to grow. They stand for Food, Acidity, Temperature, Time, Oxygen, and Moisture. Which of these conditions can you control?

To keep food safe you must monitor time and temperature to control the amount of time it spends in the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ). What is the best way to monitor time and temperature?

How can time-temperature abuse be avoided during service?

How accurate should a thermometer be if it measures the temperature of food?

Which are true about how an infrared (laser) thermometer measures temperature?

Why is the range of temperatures between 41°F and 135°F called the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ)?

Which is an example of time-temperature abuse?

Which method of calibrating thermometers is the easiest and safest?

Food must be reheated correctly before being placed in a hot-holding unit. Hot-holding equipment should NOT be used to reheat food unless it was designed for this purpose. Why?

Why do we still need to avoid time-temperature abuse if cooking reduces the pathogens in food to a safe level?

What trait makes a bimetallic-stemmed thermometer suitable for checking the temperature of large or thick food?

What is the correct air temperature for cold storage units?

Which is a ServSafe guideline for monitoring time-temperature?

What is an infrared thermometer NOT able to measure the temperature of?

What risks do vending operators need to protect their food from during transport, delivery, and service?

Infrared (Laser) Thermometers can measure the temperature of surfaces from a distance. What are these thermometers NOT able to measure the temperature of?

What are the temperature requirements for the delivery of shucked shellfish?

A delivery of frozen food should be rejected if there is any evidence of thawing. What signs should you look for in the packaging or boxes that indicate a product has been thawed and refrozen?

What makes a bimetallic-stemmed thermometer useful for checking temperatures during the Flow of Food?

How much food should be taken from the cooler for preparation at one time?

Which probe should be attached to a thermocouple or thermistor thermometer when checking the temperature of flat cooking equipment, like a grill?

To ensure that all foods susceptible to foodborne illness are maintained at a proper temperature, which of the following areas requires some form of temperature monitoring?

Infrared (Laser) Thermometers can measure the temperature of a surface without touching it. What advantage does this give the thermometer?

According to ServSafe, food follows a path through your operation called “The Flow of Food.” There are several points along this path: the first is purchasing, and the last is service. What risk factor must be controlled at every point?

How can you make sure your thermometers are accurate?

What are some features of a thermocouple and thermistor thermometer?

Which is a guideline for checking temperatures using a bimetallic-stemmed thermometer?

What can you give each food handler to help them avoid time-temperature abuse?

What must be reduced to keep food safe?

How do you take temperatures with an infrared (laser) thermometer?

Why is it unsafe to thaw food at room temperature?

How can a bimetallic-stemmed thermometer be calibrated?

Every thermometer should be calibrated at the beginning of each shift, when is another time to calibrate them?

What are the temperature requirements for the delivery of hot TCS food?

You are inspecting and receiving a delivery of food in packages. Never allow food to enter your operation without first checking it’s temperature requirements. Some foods are delivered in a special kind of package (Frozen fish, ROP and MAP) that requires it’s temperature to be checked in a different way. What are the normal steps for checking the temperature of most kinds of packaged foods?

How can the time food spends in the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ) be controlled?

Why is it important to limit the amount of food taken from the cooler at once?

What happens if food spends too much time in the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ)?

What is a critical way to prevent foodborne illness from biological toxins?

How can time-temperature abuse be avoided?

Why is it important to measure the internal temperature of the thickest part of the food?

What happens when food is handled in these ways?

• Cooled incorrectly
• Reheated incorrectly
• Held at an incorrect temperature
• Cooked to an incorrect temperature

At what temperatures do bacteria grow?

Where should the thermometer probe usually be inserted to check the temperature of food?

What should be used to check the temperatures of food during receiving?

When using the ice-point method to calibrate a thermometer, what should the reading be adjusted to while measuring the temperature of the ice water?

What mark shows the end of the temperature-sensing area on a bimetallic-stemmed thermometer?

What is food at risk for when it’s being held for service?

What happens when TCS food remains between 41°F and 135°F for too long?

What kind of thermometers do you need to have available?

Which is an example of Time-Temperature Abuse?

Why is controlling time and temperature and avoiding cross-contamination critical when handling food?

What temperature range can a bimetallic-stemmed thermometer measure?

What kind of thermometer should have these features?

• Calibration nut
• Easy-to-read markings
• Dimple

These food-handling mistakes can cause foodborne illness by allowing pathogens to grow in food to unsafe levels:

• NOT cooling hot food properly before storage
• Holding or storing food at the wrong temperature
• NOT cooking or reheating food to a high enough internal temperature

What risk factor is demonstrated by these examples?

Which statements are true about infrared (laser) thermometers?

What is the most important tool you have for monitoring temperatures?

How accurate should a thermometer be if it’s used to measure air temperature in food-storage equipment?

What kind of thermometer indicates the highest temperature reached during use and is used where temperature readings cannot be continuously observed?

Why don’t you need to insert thermocouple and thermistor thermometers as far into the food as bimetallic-stemmed thermometers need to be?

What should you provide for food handlers so they can track how long food is in the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ)?

Why do some suppliers place Time-temperature Indicators (TTI) inside their delivery trucks to constantly check and record temperatures?

What are the temperature requirements for the delivery of milk?

Reject a delivery of frozen food if you see evidence that it has been thawed and refrozen. Which of these are signs to look for in or on the product, packaging, or boxes?

How do you calibrate a thermometer using the Ice-Point Method?

When taking temperatures with an infrared (laser) thermometer, why must you remove anything between the thermometer and the measured surface?

How are the temperature readings shown on a thermocouple or thermistor thermometer?

Where should the thermometer probe or stem be inserted to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, or fish?

Which of these can an Immersion Probe Thermometer check the temperature of?

Which part of a thermocouple and thermistor thermometer is sensative to temperature?

Pathogens grow between 41°F and 135°F. But they grow fastest between 70°F and 125°F. When cooling food in two stages, which stage has the most potential for pathogen growth?

When checking the temperature inside a cooler or oven, which probe should be attached to a thermocouple or thermistor thermometer?

These four cold TCS foods may be received at an air temperature of 45°F or lower. For most others, it must be 41°F or lower.

• Live shellfish
• Shucked shellfish
• Shell eggs
• Milk

Which must be cooled from 45°F to 41°F within four hours?

Why should a large amount of hot food never be cooled in a cooler?

Why does a glass thermometer, like candy thermometer, be enclosed in a shatterproof casing?

How should the internal temperature of food be measured?

How often should you check the internal temperature of food in hot holding?

Fish do NOT produce Histamine, but these fish could be contaminated with pathogens that do:

• Tuna
• Bonito
• Mackerel
• Mahi Mahi

If a fish is contaminated with pathogens that produce Histamine, when will they produce it?

Check the internal temperature of food being held for service at least every two to four hours. What should the temperature be?

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

Why should a thermometer be used to check the temperature of food in hot holding instead of relying on the temperature gauge of the holding unit?

Inspecting and receiving a delivery begins with checking the truck for visual signs of contamination. What else should be done?

How can time-temperature abuse be avoided?

Through which of its parts do thermocouples and thermistors measure temperatures?

In which of these processes can time-temperature abuse occur?

How do you check the temperature of packaged food?

Which probe should be attached to a thermocouple or thermistor thermometer when checking the temperature of a thin food, like hamburger patties or fish fillets?

What part of a bimetallic-stemmed thermometer is used to adjust the thermometer and make it accurate?

How can you get the most accurate measurements when using an infrared (laser) thermometer?

Why is it unsafe to thaw frozen food at room temperature?

What should you provide for food handlers so they can monitor time and temperature?

A bimetallic-stemmed thermometer must be scaled in at least two-degree increments. What are two-degree increments?

What food safety risk is increased during off-site service?

What part of a bimetallic-stemmed thermometer is used to measure temperatures?

When checking temperatures with a bimetallic-stemmed thermometer, how far does its stem need to be inserted into the food?

ServSafe suggests keeping clipboards supplied with forms and pencils near:

• Coolers
• Freezers
• Food prep areas
• Cooking equipment
• Holding equipment

What information will food handlers be recording regularly?

What kind of thermometers only measure the surface temperature of food and equipment?

What are these?

• Air probe
• Surface probe
• Immersion probe
• Penetration probe

How do we use temperature control to prevent the growth of pathogens?

What should be done after checking the temperature in the thickest part of the food and recording the measurement?

What food handling mistake is responsible for the most foodborne illnesses?

How long must you wait for a digital thermometer to display the temperature reading?

Besides the temperature, what other information should be recorded by food handlers when checking food temperatures?

How can time and temperature be controlled?

How do you check the meat, poultry, and fish temperature during receiving and inspecting?

What are some disadvantages of infrared (laser) thermometers?

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

Which is an advantage with bimetallic-stemmed thermometers?

When performing off-site service (catering), what risk is higher when there is a delay between the time food is prepared and the time it’s served?

What can happen during a power failure or a refrigeration problem?

What are Time-Temperature Indicators (TTI) used for?

Why must TCS food be cooled to 41°F or lower within six hours of cooking?

After checking and recording the temperature in the thickest part of the food, why should you take another reading in a different spot?

Which probe should be attached to a thermocouple or thermistor thermometer when checking the temperature of liquids like soups, sauces, and frying oil?

Which is true about Infrared (laser) thermometers?