NRFSP Grocery Store Food Safety Manager flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Certified Food Protection Manager

A person who has passed an accredited food safety exam; the certificate is valid for five years and supports the person in charge requirement during operating hours.

Active managerial control

A preventive system in which the person in charge continuously monitors critical control points, corrects deviations, and documents actions, rather than relying on periodic inspections.

HACCP seven principles

Hazard analysis, critical control point determination, critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions, verification, and recordkeeping form the seven-principle framework for a written food safety plan.

Corrective action rule

When a critical limit is missed, hold the product, assess its safety, rework or discard it, then record the action and the cause in the food safety log.

Validation vs verification

Validation confirms that critical limits actually control the identified hazard; verification confirms the plan is being followed, using calibration checks, record review, or product testing.

Temperature danger zone

The range from 41°F to 135°F (5°C to 57°C) in which bacteria multiply fastest; TCS food must not remain in this range beyond allowed time limits.

TCS food

Food requiring time and temperature control for safety because it is high in moisture and protein or carbohydrate, such as cut melons, cooked rice, sprouts, and garlic-in-oil.

Big six pathogens

Salmonella Typhi, Shigella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, and nontyphoidal Salmonella; diagnosed or symptomatic employees require exclusion.

Norovirus control

Norovirus is the leading outbreak cause, spreads person-to-person, survives freezing, and requires exclusion of symptomatic handlers plus thorough handwashing and surface sanitation.

Spore-forming bacteria

Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus, and Clostridium botulinum form spores that survive cooking; controls are rapid cooling, proper holding, acidification, or pressure canning.

Listeria growth risk

Listeria monocytogenes multiplies at refrigeration temperatures; controls are cold holding at 41°F or below, date marking, and sanitation of ready-to-eat contact surfaces.

Onset time clues

Illness onset in one to six hours suggests toxin producers such as Staphylococcus aureus or Bacillus cereus; onset in twelve to seventy-two hours suggests viral or bacterial infection.

Handwashing steps

Wet hands, apply soap, scrub at least ten to fifteen seconds including under nails, rinse, dry with a disposable towel, and use the towel to turn off the faucet.

When to wash hands

Wash before work, after restroom use, after touching face or hair, after handling raw animal food, after cleaning, and after handling garbage or dirty equipment.

No bare-hand contact

Ready-to-eat food must be handled with single-use gloves, deli tissue, tongs, or utensils; change gloves when torn, soiled, or switching between tasks.

Exclusion criteria

Exclude food handlers with vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, sore throat with fever, infected hand wounds, or a big six diagnosis until symptoms resolve or medical clearance is given.

Restriction criteria

Restriction allows work without food contact for employees with uncovered hand or arm wounds or persistent sneezing and coughing, until the condition resolves.

Wound covering rule

A cut or wound must be covered with a bandage and a single-use glove or impermeable cover before the employee handles food or food-contact equipment.

Receiving temperature limits

Accept cold TCS food at 41°F or below, live shellfish at 45°F or below, hot food at 135°F or above, and frozen food solid with no thaw evidence.

Rejection decision rule

Reject deliveries with temperature abuse, damaged packaging, pest evidence, expired code dates, or missing shellstock tags or inspection marks, and document the rejection.

Two-stage cooling

Cool cooked food from 135°F to 70°F within two hours, then from 70°F to 41°F within four more hours, using shallow pans, ice baths, or blast chillers.

Reheating for hot holding

Reheat previously cooked TCS food to 165°F (74°C) for fifteen seconds within two hours before placing it in hot holding equipment.

Time as public health control

TCS food may be held without temperature control for up to four hours if it starts at 41°F or below or 135°F or above, and it must be discarded at four hours.

Date marking rule

Ready-to-eat TCS food held over twenty-four hours must be marked with a discard date of seven days at 41°F or below, counting the preparation day as day one.

Storage order

Store cooked ready-to-eat food above whole seafood, whole beef and pork, ground meat, and poultry; raw animal foods always go below ready-to-eat foods.

Thawing methods

Thaw under refrigeration at 41°F or below, under running water at 70°F or below, in a microwave if cooked immediately, or as part of the cooking process.

Cleaning vs sanitizing

Cleaning removes soil with detergent and water; sanitizing reduces pathogens on a clean surface and requires correct concentration, contact time, and temperature.

Chlorine sanitizer limits

Chlorine sanitizer is used at 50 to 100 ppm in water at 75°F to 100°F with about seven seconds contact time, verified with chlorine test strips.

Quaternary ammonium limits

Quaternary ammonium sanitizer is used at 200 to 400 ppm per the label, verified with quat test strips; excessive concentration leaves chemical residue on food-contact surfaces.

Three-compartment sink

Wash in detergent, rinse in clean water, sanitize for the required contact time, then air dry; sanitized items are never towel dried.

Hot water sanitizing rinse

Mechanical dishwashers using hot water sanitizing require a final rinse of 180°F at the manifold or 160°F at the plate level, verified with a thermometer or indicator.

Pest exclusion rule

Seal openings larger than one quarter inch, install door sweeps and air curtains, keep dumpsters closed, and document licensed pest control service and monitoring devices.