ServSafe Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (21–30)

Question 1

You have just finished cutting raw chicken on your cutting board and your next task is to cut onions for a raw salad.

What step should be taken before cutting the raw onion?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Wash, rinse, and sanitize the cutting board. You should wash, rinse, and sanitize the cutting board before cutting onions for a raw salad, especially after you have just cut raw chicken. This is even truer since you will be serving the onions raw on a salad and the chicken (which is raw), is a potentially hazardous food.

Question 2

Foodborne illnesses have also been caused when acidic foods such as lemonade and tomatoes are prepared in or with all of the following except:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

glass pitchers. Foodborne illnesses have also been caused when acidic foods such as tomatoes and lemonade are prepared in or with copper pots, pewter pitchers or with galvanized utensils.

Glass pitchers are perfectly safe.

Other foodborne illnesses have resulted when refrigerator shelving racks containing cadmium have been used as grill grates to cook meat.

Question 3

The presence of ice crystals on top of ice cream in the freezer is a sign of:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Refreezing. The presence of ice crystals on top of ice cream in the freezer is a sign of refreezing. This is an indicator that the ice cream has been in the restaurant for too long and is too old to serve. The correct action is to throw the ice cream away.

Question 4

A thermometer probe was sanitized by a chef and then tested the temperature of the minestrone soup in a hot holding unit. The temperature was 120 °F (49 °C), which did not reach the activity’s critical limit of 135 °F (57 °C). The cook reported the temperature in the log and heated the soup for 15 seconds to 165 ° F (74 ° C).

What was the corrective action?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

reheating the soup. A chef sanitized the thermometer probe and then tested the temperature of a hot holding device holding minestrone soup. The temperature was 120°F (49°C), which did not meet the critical limit of 135°F (57°C) for the activity. The cook reported the temperature in the log and reheated the soup for 15 seconds to 165 ° F (74 ° C). The corrective action reheats the soup.

Question 5

Hot TCS Food that has been held below 135°F for over 4 hours should be

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

thrown out immediately. Hot TCS Food that has been held below 135°F for over 4 hours should be thrown out immediately.

Question 6

At what temperature maximum should your refrigerator be kept at all times?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

40 °F. Your refrigerator should always be kept at a temperature of 40 °F or below.

Since the Danger Zone starts at 41 °F, it is important to keep all perishable foods at a temperature of 40 °F or below.

Question 7

Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes) is a sign of what food borne illness?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Hepatitis A. Jaundice is a sign of Hepatitis A, which can causedamage to the liver. Cold cuts and sandwiches, raw vegetables and salads, raw or undercooked shellfish, and iced drinks are commonly implicated in outbreaks.

Question 8

Other acceptable methods of thawing inlcude:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

all of the above. Other acceptable methods for thawing foods include using a microwave oven, thawing as part of the cooking process or submerging packaged foods under cool running water for a specified amount of time.

Proper thawing prevents or reduces the chances for bacterial growth, especially for bacteria that may be present on the outer surfaces of the food.

Question 9

Two major of amendments to the Federal, Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act are the Food Additive and Color Additive amendments of 1958 and 1960, both of which include all of the following except:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

ingredient list is not required. Two major amendments to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act are the Food Additive and Color Additive amendments of 1958 and 1960, respectively, both of which safeguard the consumer against adulteration and misbranding of foods.

Consumers need to know what is in the food products they may be eating to prevent allergic reactions or other health issues.

Question 10

Foods must be cooled from 70°F to 40°F in how many hours?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

4 hours. Foods must be cooled from 70°F to 40°F in four hours or less.

While this time limit is the maximum amount of time it should take to cool a food, your goal should be to reduce the temperature of the food as quickly as possible.

ServSafe Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (21–30)

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