A kitchen makes a house garlic-in-oil mixture for the pasta station. Why must this mixture be treated as TCS food?
a.The oil raises the acidity of the raw garlic above a pH of 4.6
b.The oil keeps the garlic above a pH of 7.5
c.The oil blocks oxygen and can allow botulism toxin
d.The oil draws moisture out of the raw garlic
Explanation
Untreated garlic-in-oil is a classic botulism hazard: the oil seals out oxygen while the low-acid garlic supplies nutrients, which is exactly what Clostridium botulinum needs to produce toxin. The mixture must be kept cold and used quickly, or the recipe must be acidified under a variance from the regulatory authority.
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