From receiving to service, which sequence correctly lists the food-safety steps?

• A. Receive and inspect; store promptly at proper temperatures; prep with clean equipment; cook to safe temperatures; hold or cool properly; serve; sanitize and clean.
• B. Receive; prep with clean equipment; store promptly at proper temperatures; cook to safe temperatures; hold or cool properly; serve; sanitize and clean.
• C. Receive and inspect; prep with clean equipment; cook to safe temperatures; hold or cool properly; serve; sanitize and clean; store promptly at proper temperatures.
• D. Sanitize and clean before receiving; receive and inspect; store at proper temperatures; serve.

Answer: (A)

The sequence tests the flow of food safety steps from receipt to service, emphasizing how time and temperature are managed and how contamination is prevented at each stage. It starts with receiving and inspecting to confirm items are safe and usable; if something is off, it’s flagged before moving forward. Then storing promptly at proper temperatures is essential to keep pathogens from multiplying. After that, prepping with clean equipment prevents cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat foods. Cooking to safe temperatures is the step that destroys harmful organisms that survived preparation. Holding or cooling properly protects the food during service and cooling periods, preventing growth of any remaining microbes. Serving should occur while still maintaining safe temperatures, and sanitizing and cleaning at the end cleans and disinfects equipment and surfaces for the next use.

Other sequences misplace steps in ways that undermine safety—for example, prep before proper storage can allow growth, or cleaning before receiving isn’t feasible, or storing late would let unsafe items linger. Following this order helps ensure food stays safe from arrival to plate.