What is the ServSafe Manager? ServSafe ManagerGlossary & Key Terms
The ServSafe Manager Certification Exam is a food safety credentialing test of 90 multiple-choice questions that qualifies foodservice managers by verifying knowledge of safe food handling — time and temperature control, personal hygiene, and cross-contamination prevention. Passing requires 70% or higher, and the resulting certification is valid for five years.
- TCS Food
- Food that requires Time and Temperature Control for Safety because it readily supports pathogen growth. Such food may not remain in the danger zone for more than four hours total, or it must be discarded.
- Minimum Internal Cooking Temperature
- The lowest internal temperature, held for a set time, that a food must reach to be safe — for example poultry and stuffed items at 165°F for one second. Different foods have different targets based on their contamination risk.
- Ground Meat Cooking Standard
- Ground meat must reach 155°F for 17 seconds because grinding spreads surface bacteria throughout the meat. This is lower than the poultry standard but still requires a held time.
- Hot and Cold Holding
- The practice of keeping hot TCS food at 135°F or higher and cold TCS food at 41°F or lower so food stays out of the danger zone during service. These limits are the boundaries of the danger zone itself.
- Handwashing
- Washing hands in a designated handwashing sink for at least 20 seconds using soap and warm running water. Using a designated sink prevents contaminating food or prep surfaces.
- Employee Exclusion
- The requirement that food handlers not work with food when they have vomiting, diarrhea, or jaundice, or are diagnosed with Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli, Hepatitis A, or Norovirus. These illnesses are transmissible through food, so removing the handler protects customers.
- Cross-Contamination
- The transfer of pathogens from one food or surface to another. It is prevented by separating raw and ready-to-eat foods, using separate equipment, and cleaning and sanitizing surfaces.
- The Big Nine Allergens
- The major food allergens a manager must control: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, and sesame. Managers must be able to identify and communicate these to protect allergic guests.
- Acceptable Identification
- A valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID — such as a driver's license, state ID card, passport, or military ID — used to verify a patron's age before serving alcohol. Checking valid ID is a first line of defense against serving minors.
- Dram Shop Liability
- Laws under which an establishment can be held legally liable for injuries caused by a patron who was served while visibly intoxicated or who was a minor. Recognizing intoxication signs and refusing service helps limit this liability.
- Temperature Danger Zone
- The temperature range of 41°F to 135°F in which pathogens grow most rapidly in food. Keeping TCS food out of this range is the core goal of most time-and-temperature controls.
- Two-Stage Cooling
- The required method for cooling cooked TCS food: from 135°F to 70°F within two hours, then from 70°F to 41°F within four more hours, for six hours total. The tight first stage matters because pathogens multiply fastest at the top of the danger zone.