New York City Food Protection Practice Test

What action is taken after identifying hazards in a food safety plan?

1. Set up Critical Limits

2. Verify the system is working

3. Take Corrective Actions

4. Record Keeping

The correct answer is: Set up Critical Limits

In a food safety plan, the identification of hazards is a critical first step that leads to the establishment of critical limits. Critical limits are specific criteria set for each critical control point (CCP) that must be met to ensure hazards are effectively controlled. For instance, if a hazard identified is the survival of pathogens in a food item that needs to be cooked, a critical limit may be a specific temperature that must be reached during cooking. Setting up these critical limits is essential because they provide measurable thresholds that help monitor whether the control measures in place are effective. Without these limits, it would be challenging to determine whether the food safety measures are sufficient to mitigate the identified hazards. After critical limits are established, subsequent actions involved in managing the food safety plan include monitoring to verify that the limits are being met, instituting corrective actions if there is a deviation, and maintaining records to ensure compliance and for future reference. However, setting up critical limits is the foundational action that must be undertaken immediately following the identification of hazards.