A pizzeria holds display slices under the 4-hour time-only option, marked from 12:00 p.m. At 4:15 p.m. three slices remain and still feel warm. What should the employee do?
a.Discard the slices; once the 4-hour window passes, the food cannot be served, reheated, or returned to temperature control
b.Reheat them to 165°F for 15 seconds, remark the pan, and restart the 4-hour window, timed from the reheat
c.Sell them at a discount within 15 minutes, since they are barely past the 4:00 p.m. discard mark
d.Move them to the cooler at 41°F overnight and put them back out on tomorrow's lunch buffet display
Explanation
Under time as a public health control, the discard time is absolute. Once 4 hours pass, the food must be thrown out regardless of how it looks or feels, and it may not be rescued by reheating or refrigeration because time, not temperature, was the only control. There is no grace period for selling the last few slices, and the 4-hour clock cannot be restarted.
Law Reference: FDA Food Code §3-501.19Practice all 500 questions free — no signup required.
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