ServSafe Manager cheat sheet

Five risk factors: buying from unsafe sources, failing to cook adequately, holding food at unsafe temperatures, using contaminated equipment, and poor personal hygiene.

TCS food must be kept out of the temperature danger zone of 41°F to 135°F (5°C to 57°C).

HACCP order: hazard analysis, identify critical control points, set critical limits, monitor, take corrective actions, verify, keep records.

Active managerial control means the person in charge monitors and documents the five risk factors during daily operations, not after an illness.

A monitoring plan states who checks, what is measured, when it is checked, and where the result is recorded.

Corrective actions include discarding product, reheating to a required temperature, adjusting or repairing equipment, and retraining staff.

Written procedures are recommended for cooling, reheating, hot and cold holding, date marking, and cleaning and sanitizing food-contact surfaces.

Calibrate thermometers at the ice point: 32°F (0°C) in ice water; the boil point is 212°F (100°C) at sea level.

Keep temperature and HACCP records on file and make them available to the regulatory authority on request.

FATTOM: food, acidity (pH 4.6 to 7.5), temperature (41°F to 135°F), time, oxygen, and moisture (water activity 0.85 or higher).

Big Six: Nontyphoidal Salmonella, Salmonella Typhi, Shigella spp., Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Hepatitis A, and Norovirus.

Nine major allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame.

Staphylococcus aureus lives on hands and in the nose and produces a toxin that survives cooking, so reheating does not make the food safe.

Bacillus cereus is linked to cooked rice and grains held at room temperature; Clostridium perfringens to slowly cooled meat, stews, and beans.

Clostridium botulinum grows without oxygen in low-acid canned food, garlic-in-oil, and vacuum-packed fish.

Listeria monocytogenes grows at refrigerator temperatures and is linked to deli meat, unpasteurized dairy, and other ready-to-eat food.

Hepatitis A and Norovirus spread from infected food handlers and contaminated shellfish and are not reliably destroyed by cooking.

Scombroid (histamine) poisoning comes from tuna, mahi mahi, and similar fish that were time-temperature abused.

Handwashing: wet hands, apply soap, scrub 10 to 15 seconds, rinse, dry with a paper towel, then use the towel to turn off the faucet.

Wash hands before touching food or clean equipment and after restroom use, handling raw meat, touching the body or face, coughing, sneezing, eating, smoking, or taking out garbage.

Hand antiseptics are applied after washing, never in place of washing.

No bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food: use single-use gloves, deli tissue, tongs, or utensils.

Gloves are changed between tasks and after 4 hours of continuous use; they are never washed, reused, or worn when torn.

Fingernails must be short, clean, and unpolished with no artificial nails; the only allowed jewelry is a plain band ring.

Exclude from the operation for vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, or a diagnosed Big Six infection; restrict for a sore throat with fever or an infected wound on the hand or arm.

Food handlers must report vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, sore throat with fever, infected lesions, or Big Six exposure to the person in charge.

Employees may drink only from a covered container with a straw, in a designated area away from food preparation.

Purchase only from approved, reputable suppliers whose inspection reports show they are in compliance.

Receiving temperatures: milk 41°F (5°C), shell eggs 45°F (7°C), live shellfish 45°F (7°C), hot TCS food 135°F (57°C) or higher, frozen food solid.

Reject deliveries with temperature abuse, torn packaging, missing labels, expired dates, pest evidence, or ice crystals that indicate thawing and refreezing.

Keep shellstock identification tags on file for 90 days from the date the last shellfish from that container was served.

Storage order, top to bottom: ready-to-eat food, whole seafood, whole cuts of beef and pork, ground meat, poultry.

Refrigerators hold food at 41°F (5°C) or lower, freezers at 0°F (-18°C) or lower, dry storage at 50°F to 70°F (10°C to 21°C).

Store food at least 6 inches off the floor and never store chemicals above or beside food.

Date marking: ready-to-eat TCS food held more than 24 hours is marked and discarded within 7 days at 41°F, counting the preparation day as day 1.

FIFO rotation: the oldest product is used first and newer product is stored behind it.

165°F (74°C) for 15 seconds: poultry, stuffing, stuffed dishes, reheated leftovers, and microwaved food.

155°F (68°C) for 17 seconds: ground meat, ratites, and injected meats.

145°F (63°C) for 15 seconds: whole cuts of beef and pork, whole seafood, and eggs for immediate service; whole cuts of meat rest 3 minutes.

Hot hold at 135°F (57°C) or higher; cold hold at 41°F (5°C) or lower.

Cooling: 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, then 70°F to 41°F within 4 more hours, 6 hours total.

Reheat TCS food for hot holding to 165°F (74°C) for 15 seconds within 2 hours.

Approved thawing: under refrigeration at 41°F or lower, under running water at 70°F or lower, in a microwave if cooked immediately, or as part of cooking.

Vegetables, grains, and legumes cooked for hot holding reach 135°F (57°C).

Four-hour rule: TCS food held without temperature control must start at 41°F or lower (cold) or 135°F or higher (hot) and is discarded after 4 hours.

Cleaning removes food and soil; sanitizing reduces pathogens to safe levels, and a surface must be cleaned before it can be sanitized.

Sanitizer levels: chlorine 50 to 99 ppm, iodine 12.5 to 25 ppm, quaternary ammonium per the manufacturer's label.

Check sanitizer concentration with test strips and change the solution when it is dirty or below the required level.

Allow about 30 seconds of contact time for chlorine and quats, then let items air dry.

Three-compartment sink: wash with detergent, rinse in clean water, sanitize in the third sink, then air dry.

Clean and sanitize food-contact surfaces every 4 hours during continuous use and after any contamination event.

Dishwasher final rinse: 180°F (82°C) for a stationary single-temperature rack machine or 165°F (74°C) for a conveyor machine.

Integrated pest management: seal openings, remove food and water sources, and work with a licensed pest control operator.

Backflow is prevented with an air gap or a vacuum breaker; never connect a hose directly to a drain or chemical line.