Topic 4 of 8 · about 9% (our estimate)
Receiving a delivery: accept it or send it back
Receiving is the first food safety check a delivery gets: temperature, packaging and paperwork, before anything goes on a shelf. The limits at the door are the same ones food lives by in the walk-in and the hot well.
- ExamPFH
- Topic weight9%
- Questions here15
- UpdatedOct 14, 2026
On this page 6 sections
At the back door
- Probe the cold TCS (time/temperature control for safety) items, and any hot food that comes on the truck.
- Frozen food should be frozen solid.
- Packaging intact: no torn inner bags, no soaked cardboard, no cans bulging at the ends.
- Look inside the cases for gnawed corners and insects. Pests get a topic of their own: pest prevention.
Approved sources, and the shellfish tag
Everything you serve has to come from an approved source: a supplier that's inspected and allowed to sell to food businesses. A case bought off the back of a truck with no invoice and no label doesn't qualify, however good the price.
Oysters, clams and mussels in the shell arrive with a tag showing where and when they were harvested. It stays with the container until the last one is served, then goes on file for 90 days from the day the container is emptied (FDA Food Code 2022, 3-203.12). If guests get sick, the tag is how the health department traces the shellfish back to its harvest area.
Reasons to send it back
| What you see | Why it goes back |
|---|---|
| Raw chicken leaking onto the case below it | Raw juice on other food is cross-contamination. |
| Ice cream soft at the edges | It thawed on the way. Refreezing doesn't undo the time it spent warm. |
| Soup from a commissary probing 120°F | That's inside the danger zone. Hot food arrives hot or goes back. |
| A sack of clams with no tag | No tag, no way to trace them if someone gets sick. |
| A case with a broken seal or a torn inner bag | You can't tell what got in. |
Accept it or send it back
Most of these put you at the back door with a case in front of you. Read the whole question before you pick: the detail that decides it is often in the second sentence.
Each question is a chit, an order ticket. Answer it and it flips to show why every option is right or wrong.
No. 01
What should you check when receiving canned goods?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 01
- A
Expiration date and case count Dates and counts matter for rotation and billing, but they won't reveal a can that's swollen or leaking.
- B
Weight and price on the invoice Invoice weight and price are business checks; they say nothing about whether a can is safe.
- C
Dents, swelling, rust, and leaks Correct: Swelling, leaks, rust, and deep or seam dents can mean a broken seal or bacterial growth, so those cans get rejected.
- D
Brand name and label design Branding tells you nothing about safety; check the can itself for damage.
- A
No. 02
What is the acceptable temperature range for receiving fresh fish?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 02
- A
35°F (2°C) or below Fish at 35°F is fine to accept, but 35°F isn't the cutoff; anything at 41°F or below meets the receiving rule.
- B
45°F (7°C) or below 45°F is an old cold-holding number; under the current Food Code, cold TCS food must arrive at 41°F or below.
- C
41°F (5°C) or below Correct: Fresh fish is TCS food, and cold TCS food must be received at 41°F or below.
- D
50°F (10°C) or below At 50°F, fish is well inside the danger zone, where bacteria multiply fast; reject it.
- A
No. 03
What should be checked first when receiving dry goods?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 03
- A
Product color Color can hint at quality, but torn, wet, or chewed packaging is the first sign of contamination or pests.
- B
Brand name The brand doesn't tell you whether the package was damaged in transit.
- C
Package integrity Correct: Tears, holes, water stains, or gnaw marks mean the food may already be contaminated or infested.
- D
Price on the invoice Price gets matched to the invoice later; safety checks on the package come first.
- A
No. 04
What is the first step when receiving a food delivery?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 04
- A
Sign the driver's invoice Signing first means accepting the load before you know it's safe; sign only after inspection.
- B
Check temperatures of TCS foods Correct: Cold TCS food must arrive at 41°F or below and hot TCS food at 135°F or above, so temperatures get checked before you accept anything.
- C
Wait until the rush is over to look A delivery left sitting until the rush ends lets cold food warm into the danger zone.
- D
Put items away in the cooler Putting items away before checking them means unsafe food can end up mixed into your stock.
- A
No. 05
What should be done with food deliveries during busy service times?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 05
- A
Store temporarily at room temperature Leaving deliveries at room temperature during a rush lets cold and frozen foods warm into the danger zone.
- B
Wait until service is over Waiting until service ends can leave TCS food out for hours; it has to go into cold storage right away.
- C
Have servers put away when possible Leaving it for servers whenever they get a moment means TCS food can sit out too long.
- D
Immediately store at proper temperatures Correct: Cold and frozen deliveries go into storage right away, rush or not, so they never sit in the danger zone.
- A
No. 06
What is the best way to prevent contamination during food receiving?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 06
- A
Putting everything away fast Fast storage helps with temperature, but without inspection you can shelve damaged or contaminated items.
- B
Repackaging items into bins Repackaging adds handling and can strip labels you need; inspect first, then store.
- C
Washing all items on arrival Washing everything isn't practical or safe for many products, and it doesn't catch temperature or packaging problems.
- D
Immediate inspection of deliveries Correct: Inspecting deliveries as they arrive lets you reject unsafe items before they reach your shelves.
- A
No. 07
What action should be taken if refrigerated deliveries arrive at 45°F?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 07
- A
Use items immediately Using it right away doesn't undo the time spent above 41°F; the delivery should be refused.
- B
Reject the delivery Correct: Cold TCS food must arrive at 41°F or below, so a 45°F load is rejected unless a specific rule, like the one for shell eggs or milk, allows it.
- C
Check with supervisor Telling your supervisor is fine, but the answer is still to reject food that arrived above 41°F.
- D
Accept and cool quickly Cooling it quickly doesn't erase the time it spent warm in the truck; refuse the delivery.
- A
No. 08
What should be checked when receiving fresh produce?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 08
- A
Color and shine of the produce Bright color can hide mold, rot, or pests underneath; judge the whole condition, not just the look.
- B
Price per case on the invoice Price is a business check and says nothing about whether produce is safe to accept.
- C
Spoilage, insects, mold, or damage Correct: Mold, rot, insects, and crushed or bruised produce are all reasons to reject a delivery at the door.
- D
Weight of each case on a scale Weight confirms you got what you paid for, but not that the produce is safe.
- A
No. 09
What should be the first action when receiving frozen seafood?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 09
- A
Count the packages against the order Counting is a business step; first make sure the seafood stayed frozen.
- B
Check for signs of thawing and refreezing Correct: Large ice crystals, frozen liquid, or water stains show the seafood thawed and refroze, a sign of time-temperature abuse.
- C
Weigh the products on the scale Weight doesn't show whether the product stayed frozen during transport.
- D
Check the invoice and the prices The invoice can wait; checking for thawing and refreezing protects safety first.
- A
No. 10
How should temperature logs be maintained for receiving deliveries?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 10
- A
Record product, temperature, date, time, and signature Correct: A complete entry shows what arrived, how warm it was, when, and who checked it, so the log can prove receiving was done right.
- B
Write down only the temperature of each load A temperature without the product, date, or checker can't be traced back to a specific delivery.
- C
Check temperatures but don't write anything down A check nobody writes down can't be shown to an inspector later.
- D
Note just the delivery time and driver's name Delivery time and driver don't show whether the food arrived at a safe temperature.
- A
No. 11
What action should be taken if delivery trucks show signs of pest infestation?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 11
- A
Reject deliveries and report Correct: A truck with pests can contaminate everything on it, so refuse the delivery and let your manager tell the supplier.
- B
Accept and inspect carefully Accepting food from an infested truck risks bringing pests and contamination into your storage.
- C
Spray for pests first Spraying pesticide around food is unsafe, and pest treatment belongs to a licensed operator, not the receiving clerk.
- D
Clean truck before accepting Cleaning the truck isn't your job and won't make food already exposed to pests safe.
- A
No. 12
What should be done with damaged cans before opening?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 12
- A
Discard without opening Correct: Swollen, leaking, or badly dented cans can hide botulism or other contamination, so they go out unopened or back to the supplier.
- B
Sell at discount Discounting still puts a possibly contaminated can in someone's hands; damaged cans are rejected or thrown out.
- C
Use if within date The date doesn't help, because a dented seam or a swell can let in bacteria or signal toxin whatever the date says.
- D
Open and inspect contents Opening a swollen can can spray contaminated contents, and toxin can't be seen or smelled anyway.
- A
No. 13
A regular customer drops off a jar of homemade salsa for the kitchen to serve. What should the cook do?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 13
- A
Serve it if it looks and smells fine Looks and smell can't reveal germs or toxins, and the real problem is that a home kitchen isn't inspected.
- B
Keep it at 41°F and use it within 7 days Cold holding doesn't fix where the food came from; food made in a private home can't be served.
- C
Turn it down; it's not from an approved source Correct: Food served to guests must come from an approved, inspected source, and food made in a private home doesn't qualify.
- D
Heat it to 165°F first, then serve it Cooking won't destroy every toxin, and it doesn't change the rule that home-made food can't be served.
- A
No. 14
What should be done with foods that show signs of freezer burn during receiving?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 14
- A
Accept at discount A lower price doesn't fix food that shows signs of poor temperature control or damaged packaging.
- B
Thaw and inspect Thawing food just to inspect it creates a new temperature problem and still doesn't make it acceptable.
- C
Reject the items Correct: Freezer burn points to temperature swings or broken packaging somewhere in storage or shipping, so the safe call at the door is to refuse it.
- D
Use for immediate service Rushing it into service doesn't change its condition; questionable frozen product should be refused at the door.
- A
No. 15
What information should be checked on packaged foods during receiving?
Pick one. The chit flips to a note on every option.
Notes on No. 15
- A
Dates, lot numbers, and package condition Correct: Dates support rotation, lot numbers make recalls traceable, and damaged packaging can mean the food is contaminated.
- B
Net weight against the invoice total Weight is a billing check; it doesn't show whether the food is in date or the package is intact.
- C
Price per case on the supplier invoice Price is a purchasing issue and says nothing about food safety.
- D
Brand name and the label artwork The brand and label design don't tell you anything about safety or traceability.
- A
Nothing matches both filters. Clear one of them.
Receiving, quickly
Do eggs, milk and shellfish follow the same cold limit?
Not exactly. Raw shell eggs are the clearest exception: they're received in refrigerated equipment that keeps the air at 45°F or colder (FDA Food Code 2022, 3-202.11(C)). Milk and live shellfish can be received at the temperature their own laws set (3-202.11(B)). Other cold TCS food follows the limit in the box above.
Can you send back part of a delivery?
Usually. The case that fails goes back on the truck, and the rest gets checked in like any other delivery. Your manager settles the credit with the supplier.
Sources
- FDA Food Code 2022 — 3-202.11 receiving temperatures; 3-203.12 shellstock tags checked Oct 13, 2026