Contamination & AllergensQuestion 45 of 320
In a walk-in cooler, how should raw foods be arranged on shelves to prevent cross-contamination, from top to bottom?
a.Raw chicken on top, ready-to-eat food on the bottom
b.Ready-to-eat food on top, then foods by increasing cooking temperature, with raw poultry on the bottom
c.All raw meats stored together on the top shelf
d.Order does not matter if everything is covered
Explanation
Foods should be stored top to bottom in order of increasing required cooking temperature: ready-to-eat foods on top, then whole seafood/steaks (145°F), then ground meat (155°F), with raw poultry (165°F) on the bottom. This prevents juices from higher-temperature raw items from dripping onto foods cooked less or eaten raw. Covering alone does not remove the risk of drips and spills.
Law Reference: FDA Food Code §3-302.11Practice all 320 questions free — no signup required.
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