ServSafe Cheat Sheet

Key numbers and rules for the ServSafe Manager exam, by topic. State and local rules can differ.

Personal hygiene

Source: FDA Food Code 2022, 2-301.12, 2-303.11, 3-304.15, 5-202.12

5 symptoms to report: vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, sore throat with fever, an infected wound that is open or draining
6 illnesses to report: norovirus, hepatitis A, Shigella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, typhoid fever, nontyphoidal Salmonella
Back to work after vomiting or diarrhea with no diagnosis: at least 24 hours without symptoms, or a health practitioner's note saying the cause is not infectious
Temperature danger zone: 41°F to 135°F

Source: FDA Food Code 2022, 2-201.11, 2-201.13, Annex 3 (3-501.16)

Source: FDA Food Code 2022, 3-401.11, 3-401.12, 3-501.16

Cold holding: 41°F or below
Hot holding: 135°F or above
Roasts cooked to the Food Code roast chart: may hold at 130°F or above
Time as a control, 4-hour limit: most food starts at 41°F or below, or 135°F or above
Time as a control, 6-hour limit: food starts at 41°F or below and stays at 70°F or below

Source: FDA Food Code 2022, 3-501.16, 3-501.19, Annex 3 (3-501.16)

135°F to 70°F: within 2 hours
135°F to 41°F: within 6 hours in total
Food made from room-temperature ingredients, such as canned tuna: 41°F within 4 hours
Reheating for hot holding: 165°F for 15 seconds, reached within 2 hours
Commercially packaged ready-to-eat food, reheated for hot holding: 135°F

Source: FDA Food Code 2022, 3-501.14, 3-403.11

Cold TCS food at delivery: 41°F or below, unless another law sets a different temperature
Hot TCS food at delivery: 135°F or above
Raw eggs: received in refrigerated equipment at 45°F or below
Food labeled frozen and shipped frozen: must arrive frozen
Shellfish tags: keep for 90 calendar days

Source: FDA Food Code 2022, 3-202.11, 3-203.12

Food storage height: at least 6 inches above the floor
Date mark ready-to-eat TCS food held longer than 24 hours
Date-marked food at 41°F or below: 7 days at most, and the day you make it is Day 1
Working containers: label with the common name of the food

Source: FDA Food Code 2022, 3-305.11, 3-501.17, 3-302.12, Annex 4

Source: FDA Food Code 2022, 3-501.13, 3-302.15, 3-502.11

Keep raw animal food apart from ready-to-eat food in storage, prep, holding and display
Clean food-contact surfaces each time you change from raw to ready-to-eat food
Food-contact surfaces used with TCS food: clean at least every 4 hours
Ready-to-eat food: use utensils or gloves, and no bare hands
Store chemicals apart from food and not above it

Source: FDA Food Code 2022, 3-302.11, 3-301.11, 4-602.11, 7-201.11

9 major food allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, soybeans, sesame
Highly refined oil from these foods: not a major food allergen
Packaged food label: names the food source of each major allergen
Unpackaged food with a major allergen as an ingredient: the customer gets written notice
Person in charge: makes sure staff are trained in food allergy awareness

Source: FDA Food Code 2022, 1-201.10, 2-103.11, 3-602.11, 3-602.12

HACCP principles: 7
Person in charge: keeps active managerial control of foodborne illness risk factors
Written food safety management system: within 4 years of your regulator adopting the code
HACCP plan: submit for approval when a variance or the law requires one

Source: FDA Food Code 2022, 8-201.13, Annex 4; November 2024 Supplement, 2-103.11, 8-201.15

Source: FDA Food Code 2022, 4-301.12, 4-501.19, 4-501.111, 4-501.114, 4-603.16, 4-703.11, 4-901.11

Air gap: at least twice the inlet diameter, and never less than 1 inch
Handwashing sink water: at least 85°F
Self-closing faucet: runs at least 15 seconds
Light: 50 foot-candles where food is prepared, 20 at handwashing and warewashing areas, 10 in walk-ins and dry storage

Source: FDA Food Code 2022, 5-202.12, 5-202.13, 5-205.12, 6-303.11

Openings kept open for ventilation: 16 mesh to 1 inch screens, air curtains or another effective means
Rodent bait: in a covered, tamper-resistant bait station
Restricted use pesticides: a certified applicator, or someone under direct supervision
Insect zappers: never over a food prep area
Inspect food shipments and the building routinely for pests

Source: FDA Food Code 2022, 6-202.13, 6-202.15, 6-501.111, 7-202.12, 7-206.12

Routine inspection: at least once every 6 months in most cases
Priority item: fix at the inspection, or within 72 hours if the regulator agrees
Priority foundation item: fix at the inspection, or within 10 calendar days if the regulator agrees
Core item: fix within 90 calendar days, unless the regulator approves a longer written schedule
Imminent health hazard: stop operations and notify the regulator right away

Source: FDA Food Code 2022, 8-401.10, 8-404.11, 8-405.11, 8-406.11