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ServSafe Manager Cheat Sheet

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Safety + Contamination

  • 25% of exam
  • Big Five Big Six TCS Foods Allergens Food Defense

Safe Food Handling

  • 30% of exam
  • Personal Hygiene Temperature Control Cooking Tiers Cooling Illness Action

Purchasing + Service

  • 25% of exam
  • Approved Sources Receiving Storage Order Holding Service Control

Facilities + Management

  • 20% of exam
  • HACCP Active Control Facilities Sanitizers Pest Control

Quick Facts

  • Exam ServSafe Manager
  • Credential Food Protection Manager
  • Questions 90 MCQ
  • Time 2 hours
  • Pass 75%
  • Validity 5 years
  • Anchor FDA Food Code
  • Focus Prevent illness

FAT TOM SA

  • Food, acidity, time, temp, oxygen, moisture
  • Food: nutrients Acidity: pH Time: growth Temp: danger zone Oxygen: some need Moisture: water activity

TCS vs Non-TCS SA

TCS

  • Moist/protein food
  • Needs temp control
  • Supports growth

Non-TCS

  • Low growth risk
  • Shelf stable
  • Still protect
  • Growth risk drives control

Big Five SA

  • Unsafe sources Reject unapproved food
  • Undercooking Missed kill step
  • Wrong holding Danger-zone growth
  • Contaminated equipment Dirty food-contact surfaces
  • Poor hygiene Hands spread pathogens
  • TCS abuse Time plus temperature
  • Cross-contamination Pathogens moved across foods

Cross-Contam vs Cross-Contact SA

Cross-contam

  • Pathogen transfer
  • Raw to RTE
  • Cook can help

Cross-contact

  • Allergen transfer
  • Tiny amount matters
  • Cooking cannot fix
  • Pathogen vs allergen

Big Six SA

  • Norovirus Vomiting/diarrhea spread
  • Hepatitis A Jaundice trigger
  • Salmonella Typhi Fecal-oral route
  • Nontyphoidal Salmonella Report and exclude
  • Shigella Highly infectious
  • E. coli O157 Undercooked beef risk

Contaminants SA

  • Biological Pathogens and toxins
  • Chemical Cleaners, metals, pesticides
  • Physical Glass, metal, jewelry
  • Allergen Big Nine proteins
  • Cross-contact Allergen transfer
  • Food defense Prevent deliberate harm

Temperature Ladder HA

  • 165 > 155 > 145 > 135
  • 165: poultry/stuffed 155: ground meat 145: seafood/steaks 135: hot plants

Restrict vs Exclude HA

Restrict

  • May enter
  • No exposed food
  • Lower risk

Exclude

  • Leave operation
  • Serious symptoms
  • Big Six
  • Limit tasks vs send home

Illness Action HA

  • Vomiting → Exclude ( Food risk )
  • Diarrhea → Exclude ( Food risk )
  • Jaundice → Exclude ( Notify authority )
  • Big Six diagnosis → Exclude ( Medical clearance )
  • Sore throat + fever → Restrict ( HSP: exclude )
  • Covered hand wound → Bandage + glove

TCS + Temps HA

  • Danger zone 41F-135F
  • Cold holding 41F or below
  • Hot holding 135F or above
  • Prep limit 4 hours cumulative
  • Cooling stage 1 135F->70F in 2 hr
  • Cooling stage 2 70F->41F in 4 hr
  • Reheated holding 165F within 2 hr
  • Date marking 7 days max

Temperature Action HA

  • Cold TCS above 41F → Reject ( Receiving )
  • Hot TCS below 135F → Reheat/discard ( Holding )
  • Cooling misses 70F → Reheat/restart ( 2 hr )
  • Cooling misses 41F → Discard ( 6 hr )
  • Reheat for holding → 165F ( 2 hr )
  • Unlabeled time-control → Discard

Cooking Tiers HA

  • Poultry 165F instant
  • Stuffed foods 165F instant
  • Ground meat 155F tier
  • Eggs for holding 155F tier
  • Seafood 145F tier
  • Steaks/chops 145F tier
  • Eggs immediate 145F tier
  • Hot plant foods 135F tier

Prep Controls HA

  • Thaw cooler 41F or below
  • Thaw water 70F running water
  • Thaw microwave Cook immediately
  • Thaw cooking Skip separate thaw
  • Bare-hand RTE Never allowed
  • Gloves Change between tasks
  • Thermometer Calibrate before use

Storage Order FL

  • RTE > fish > beef > pork > poultry
  • Ready-to-eat top Seafood higher Whole cuts middle Poultry bottom

FIFO vs Date Marking FL

FIFO

  • Use oldest first
  • Quality rotation
  • Stock control

Date mark

  • Ready-to-eat TCS
  • 7-day discard
  • Safety limit
  • Rotation vs discard limit

Contamination Control FL

  • Raw poultry storage → Bottom shelf
  • RTE service → Gloves/utensils
  • Allergen order → Separate tools
  • Chemical near food → Move chemical
  • Pest evidence → Contact PCO
  • Sewage backup → Close/notify

Receiving + Storage FL

  • Approved source Licensed, inspected supplier
  • Cold TCS Receive at 41F
  • Shell eggs Receive at 45F
  • Live shellfish Receive at 45F
  • Frozen food Solid, no crystals
  • FIFO Oldest used first
  • Ready-to-eat Store on top
  • Poultry Store at bottom

Time Control vs Temperature FL

Time control

  • Label discard
  • No temp holding
  • 4 or 6 hr

Temperature

  • 41F cold
  • 135F hot
  • Monitor regularly
  • Clock vs thermometer

Service Control FL

  • Temp checks Every 4 hours
  • Time control Label discard time
  • Four-hour food Discard after 4 hr
  • Six-hour cold Stay below 70F
  • Buffet plates New plate each trip
  • Sneeze guards Protect self-service food
  • Off-site food Log temps during transport

HACCP Flow SY

  • Hazard, CCP, limit, monitor, correct, verify, record
  • Find hazards Set limits Watch limits Fix misses Verify system Keep records

Clean vs Sanitize SY

Clean

  • Removes soil
  • Uses detergent
  • First step

Sanitize

  • Reduces pathogens
  • Uses heat/chemical
  • After rinse
  • Soil first; pathogens second

HACCP + Management SY

  • Hazard analysis Find likely hazards
  • CCP Control hazard point
  • Critical limit Measurable boundary
  • Monitoring Check the limit
  • Corrective action Fix failed limit
  • Verification Prove system works
  • Records Document control
  • AMC Active managerial control

Facilities + Pests SY

  • Hand sink Stocked and accessible
  • Air gap Best backflow barrier
  • NSF equipment Sanitation standard
  • Smooth surfaces Easy to clean
  • Master schedule What/who/when/how
  • IPM Deny access, food
  • PCO Licensed pest pro

Sanitizers + Dishwashing SY

  • Wash basin 110F minimum
  • Chlorine 50-99 ppm
  • Iodine 12.5-25 ppm
  • Quats Follow label
  • Test kit Match sanitizer
  • Air-dry Never towel-dry
  • High-temp machine 180F final rinse

Common Traps

Allergen vs pathogen

  • Allergen survives cooking ≠ Pathogens may be killed

Gloves vs washing

  • Wash before gloves ≠ Gloves are not magic

Cooling vs reheating

  • Cooling has two stages ≠ Reheating has 2 hours

Clean vs sanitized

  • Clean can still contaminate ≠ Sanitize after rinsing

Restrict vs exclude

  • Restrict stays away food ≠ Exclude leaves operation

FIFO vs discard

  • FIFO manages rotation ≠ Date mark sets limit

Last Minute

  • 1. Danger zone: 41F-135F
  • 2. Cook: 165/155/145/135
  • 3. Cool: 135->70->41
  • 4. Cold 41F; hot 135F
  • 5. Reheat holding to 165F
  • 6. Big Six diagnosis excludes
  • 7. Wash before wearing gloves
  • 8. Allergens need cross-contact control
  • 9. HACCP: limit, monitor, correct
  • 10. Store poultry below everything
  • 11. Sanitize, then air-dry only
  • 12. Reject damaged, thawed, or warm