A seafood display holds raw oysters on a bed of ice. Which detail shows the display is set up correctly?
a.The ice bed is topped off once at the start of each shift no matter how much has melted, and no one probes the oysters in between
b.The oysters rest on a thin layer of ice that has mostly melted by mid-afternoon, with the shells sitting at 47°F in the meltwater collecting in the pan
c.The oysters are nested into self-draining ice deep enough to keep the product at 41°F or below, with meltwater draining away rather than pooling
d.The ice touches only the underside of the stainless-steel pan holding the oysters, so the shells stacked above are chilled by surrounding room air
Explanation
Ice used for cold holding must surround the product, not just touch the container bottom, and the setup must drain so food does not sit in stagnant meltwater. The measure of success is the food temperature staying at 41°F or below, which staff should verify with a thermometer — so a once-a-shift top-off with no probing, a melted-out bed leaving shells at 47°F in standing water, and ice under the pan instead of around the product all fail.
Law Reference: FDA Food Code §3-501.16Practice all 500 questions free — no signup required.
Own the complete ServSafe Food Protection Manager guide — PDF + EPUB, $19.99 →
Related questions on this topic
- A busser returns an untouched bread basket from a finished table and asks if the rolls can go to the next party since no one seemed to touch them. What should the manager say?
- 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?
- Which returned item may safely be re-served to another guest?
- A manager plans a weekend omelet station where a cook prepares eggs in front of guests, next to an open tray of diced toppings guests scoop themselves. What protection does the topping tray need?
- A sushi bar holds acidified sushi rice at room temperature but has no written procedures and no time marks on the rice containers. An inspector asks how the rice is controlled. What is the operation's compliance status?
- A salad bar pan of cut melon reads 45°F. The manager sees the pan is stacked well above the fill line of the cold well. What is the most likely cause and fix?
Last reviewed: · editorial process
PrepPass team · Verified against ServSafe Food Protection Manager Exam · How we review