ServSafe Food Handler Cleaning and Sanitation Summary

Cleaning removes food and dirt from a surface. Sanitizing reduces germs on a clean surface to safe levels. You must clean first, because sanitizer does not work well on a dirty surface.

Wrong choices

• Cleaning kills all germs; sanitizing removes dirt: This has the two jobs backward.
• They mean the same thing: They are two different steps, and both are needed for food-contact surfaces.
• Sanitizing is only needed for floors and walls: Sanitizing is most important for surfaces that touch food, like cutting boards and utensils.

The order is clean, rinse, sanitize, air-dry. Scrape and clean off food, rinse away soap and dirt, apply sanitizer, and then let the surface air-dry. Do not rinse off the sanitizer.

Wrong choices

• Sanitize, rinse, clean, air-dry: Sanitizer does not work on a dirty surface, so cleaning must come first.
• Rinse, sanitize, clean, towel-dry: Cleaning must come first, and you should not towel-dry.
• Clean, sanitize, rinse, towel-dry: You should not rinse off sanitizer or towel-dry. Both can put germs back on the surface.

Food-contact surfaces that are in constant use must be cleaned and sanitized at least every 4 hours. Germs build up on the surface over time, even when you work with only one food.

Wrong choices

• Once at the end of the shift: The end of the shift may be more than 4 hours away.
• Every 8 hours: 8 hours is twice as long as the limit.
• Once a week: Once a week is far too long for a surface that touches food.

Before you switch from raw meat or poultry to ready-to-eat food, clean and sanitize the board. Otherwise germs from the chicken can get on the tomatoes, which will not be cooked.

Wrong choices

• Wipe the board with a dry towel: A dry towel does not remove germs and can spread them.
• Flip the board over and use the other side: Juices from the chicken can soak through or spread to the other side, and the board was never cleaned.
• Rinse the board in cold water: A water rinse does not remove grease or reduce germs to safe levels.

Sanitized dishes should air-dry on a clean rack or drainboard. A towel can put germs back on a surface you just sanitized.

Wrong choices

• Dry them with a clean cloth towel: Even a clean towel can put germs back on the dishes.
• Rinse off the sanitizer, then towel-dry: Rinsing removes the sanitizer, and towel-drying can add germs.
• Stack them while wet so they dry together: Stacking wet items traps moisture, which lets germs grow.

Store chemicals in a separate area away from food, utensils, and prep areas. If they must be in the same room, keep them below food so they cannot drip or spill onto it.

Wrong choices

• On a shelf above the prep table so they are easy to reach: Chemicals above a prep table could drip or spill onto food.
• Next to the dry food on the storeroom shelves: Chemicals next to food could spill on it or be mistaken for food.
• On the top shelf of the walk-in cooler: A top shelf in the cooler puts chemicals above food.

After scraping, items go through the sinks in this order: wash in detergent (sink 1), rinse in clean water (sink 2), sanitize (sink 3), then air-dry.

Wrong choices

• Rinse, wash, sanitize, air-dry: Washing must come before rinsing, so the rinse removes the soap and dirt.
• Wash, sanitize, rinse, air-dry: Rinsing after sanitizing washes the sanitizer off.
• Sanitize, wash, rinse, air-dry: Sanitizer does not work on dirty items, so it cannot come first.

First, scrape food off the items (or rinse or soak them). This keeps the wash water cleaner, so the detergent can do its job. Then wash, rinse, sanitize, and air-dry.

Wrong choices

• Put them straight in the sanitizer sink: Sanitizer is the last step before drying. It does not work on dirty items.
• Soak them in the sanitizer sink first: Food in the sanitizer sink makes the sanitizer weak.
• Dry them with a towel: Drying comes at the end, and items should air-dry, not be towel-dried.

A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) comes from the chemical's maker. It explains the chemical's dangers, how to use and store it safely, and what first aid to give if someone is exposed. You have the right to see the SDS for any chemical you use at work.

Wrong choices

• The date the chemical was delivered: The delivery date is on the invoice, not the SDS.
• How much of the chemical to order each month: Order amounts are a business decision, not safety information.
• Which foods the chemical can be mixed into: Cleaning chemicals should never be mixed into food.

Droppings and gnaw marks are signs of rodents. Other signs are nests, egg cases, a strong oily smell (from cockroaches), and live or dead pests. Tell your manager right away.

Wrong choices

• Sealed boxes with no damage: Undamaged, sealed boxes are a good sign.
• Food stored 6 inches off the floor: Storing food off the floor helps keep pests away. It is not a sign of pests.
• Doors that close tightly: Tight doors help keep pests out.