Chapter 7

Question 1

Date Marking

Answer 1

Ready-to-eat TCS foods must include a date marking sticker if being held in the refrigerator for more that 24 hours. The label must indicate when the food must be sold, eaten, or thrown out.

Question 2

FIFO

Answer 2

FIFO: first-in, first-out. This is the system that many operations will use to rotate their refrigerated, frozen, and dry foods during storage. The system works in steps: First, identify the food item’s use-by or expiration date. Then store items with the earliest use-by or expiration dates in front of items with later dates. Once items are shelved, use the front stored items first. Finally, throw out any items that have passed the manufacturer’s use-by or expiration date.

Question 3

TCS Internal Temperature

Answer 3

All TCS food should be stored at an internal temperature of 41F or lower, or 135F or higher. Randomly sample the internal temperature of stored food using a calibrated thermometer on a regular basis.

Question 4

Refrigeration Thermometer accuracy and Location

Answer 4

Make sure all storage units have at least one air-temperature measuring device. It must be accurate to within 3*F. This device must be located in the warmest part of the refrigerated units. Check the cooler and freezer temperatures often.

Question 5

ROP

Answer 5

ROP: reduced-oxygen packaged food. These foods must be stored at temperatures recommended by the manufacturer or at 41*F or lower. ROP food includes modified atmosphere packaged, vacuum packed, and sous vide food. Frozen items should be stored at temperatures that will keep them frozen. ROP items are especially susceptible to the growth of Clostridium botulinum. Throw the items away if the package has any of these characteristics: is torn or slimy, contains excess liquid, or the food item bubbles, indicating growth of bacteria.

Question 6

The order of food storage

Answer 6

Safe food storage starts with wrapping or covering food. After that how you store food depends on your options for storage. 1.) Store raw meat, poultry, and seafood separately from ready to eat food. If it cannot be stored separately, store ready-to-eat food above raw meat, poultry, and seafood. 2.) Raw meat, poultry, and sea food can be stored with or above ready-to-eat food in a freezer if all items have been commercially processed and packaged. Frozen food that is being thawed in coolers must also be stored below ready to eat food. 3.) Store raw meat, poultry, and seafood in coolers the following top to bottom order: Seafood, whole cuts of beef and pork, ground meat and fish, and whole or ground poultry. 4.) As an exception, ground meat and ground fish can be stored above whole cuts of beef and pork. To do this, make sure the packaging keeps out pathogens and chemicals.