Ace the 2025 ServSafe Food Handlers Exam – Feast on Success!

The best way to determine if food is still safe to eat involves checking multiple factors: visual appearance, temperature, and expiration date.

Visually inspecting food helps identify any signs of spoilage such as discoloration, mold, or changes in texture that could indicate it is no longer safe. Monitoring the temperature of food is crucial because foods that are stored outside their safe temperature range can lead to bacterial growth, posing foodborne illness risks. Additionally, checking the expiration date provides a reliable guideline as this date indicates when the food may no longer be safe to consume, ensuring that the food is within its recommended usage period.

While smelling the food can sometimes provide clues about its freshness, it is not a foolproof method, as some harmful bacteria can be present without causing any noticeable odors. Feeling the texture of food can also give some insights, but it is not as definitive as the combination of the three key factors identified in the correct approach. Asking colleagues for their opinions may not be reliable either, as personal assessments can vary and may not based on established safety protocols. Thus, the comprehensive method of checking appearance, temperature, and expiration date provides the most effective means of ensuring food safety.