Holding & ServiceQuestion 229 of 320
A taqueria serves each table an open bowl of house salsa with chips. At closing, several bowls come back nearly full. A cook suggests pouring them back into the batch container for tomorrow. What is the correct decision?
a.Strain the salsa first, then combine it with the fresh batch
b.Discard the returned salsa; open food served to guests cannot be re-served or blended back into stock
c.Combine them if the salsa was kept below 41°F at the tables
d.Freeze the returned salsa to kill any contamination
Explanation
Open bowls at guest tables are exposed to double-dipped chips, saliva, and hands, and none of that can be undone by straining, chilling, or freezing. Returned open food must be thrown out, and pouring it into the master batch would contaminate the entire container.
Law Reference: FDA Food Code §3-306.14Practice all 320 questions free — no signup required.
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