A case in point

On Friday, John went to work at Fish House knowing he had a lot to do. After changing clothes and punching in, he took a case of frozen raw shrimp out of the freezer. To thaw it quickly, he put the boxes of frozen shrimp into the prep sink and turned on the hot water. While waiting for the shrimp to thaw, John took several fresh whole fish out of the walk-in refrigerator. He brought them back to the prep area and began to clean and fillet them. When he finished, he put the fillets in a pan and returned them to the walk-in refrigerator. He rinsed off the boning knife and cutting board in the sink, and wiped off the worktable with a dish towel.

Next, John transferred the shrimp from the sink to the worktable using a large colander. On the cutting board he peeled, deveined, and butterflied the shrimp using boning knife. He put the prepared shrimp in a covered container in the refrigerator, then started preparing fresh produce.

What did John do wrong?

Multiple-choice study questions

1. An employee has just trimmed raw chicken on a cutting board and must now use the board to prepare vegetables. What should the employee do with the board to prepare vegetables?

1. Wash, rinse, and sanitize the cutting board.

2. Dry it with a paper towel.

3. Rinse it under very hot water.

4. Turn it over and use the reverse side.

2. Which of the following is not a safe method for thawing frozen food?

1. Thawing it by submerging it under running water at 70F (21C) or lower.

2. Thawing it in the microwave and cooking it immediately afterwards.

3. Thawing it at room temperature.

4. Thawing it in the refrigerator tonight.

3. Casseroles and other dishes combining raw and cooked food should be cooked to

1. 135F (57C) for fifteen seconds.

2. 145F (63C) for fifteen seconds.

3. 155F (68C) for fifteen seconds.

4. 165F (74C) for fifteen seconds.

4. You are making omelettes to order for Sunday brunch at the hotel where you work. How should you handle the eggs to ensure you are serving safe omelettes?

1. Crack all the eggs you think you will use into a large container stored near the grill.

2. Stack flats of eggs as close to the grill as possible so they can be cooked quickly.

3. Cook omelette orders to 125F (52C) or higher.

4. Keep all of the eggs you need in their shells and refrigerated right up until the time they are used.

5. Which of the following is a bad practice when handling vegetables?

1. Washing vegetables under running water before cutting them

2. Pulling leafy vegetables completely apart before rinsing them

3. Holding cooked vegetables at 125F (52C) or higher

4. Refrigerating cut vegetables at 41F (5C) or lower

6. Potentially hazardous cooked food cannot remain in the temperature danger zone for more than ________ before it must be reheated or discarded.

1. One hour

2. Two hours

3. Three hours

4. Four hours

7. What is the proper way to cool a large stockpot of clam chowder?

1. Allow the stockpot to cool at room temperature.

2. Put the hot stockpot into the walk-in refrigerator to cool.

3. Divide the clam chowder into smaller containers and place them in an ice-water bath.

4. Put the hot stockpot into the walk-in freezer to cool.

8. When reheating potentially hazardous food for hot-holding, reheat the food to

1. 135F (57C) for fifteen seconds.

2. 145F (63C) for fifteen seconds.

3. 155F (68C) for fifteen seconds.

4. 165F (74C) for fifteen seconds.

9. Which of the following food has been safely cooked?

1. A hamburger cooked to an internal temperature of 135F (57C) for fifteen seconds

2. A pork chop cooked to an internal temperature of 145F (63C) for fifteen seconds

3. A whole turkey cooked to an internal temperature of 155F (68C) for fifteen seconds

4. A fish fillet cooked to an internal temperature of 135F (57C) for fifteen seconds

10. All the following practices can help prevent cross-contamination during food preparation except

1. Preparing meat separately from ready-to-eat food.

2. Assigning specific equipment for preparing specific food.

3. Rinsing cutting boards between preparing raw food and ready-to-eat food.

4. Using specific storage containers for specific food.