A tuna salad is removed from the cooler at 9:00 a.m. and put out for a buffet at 11:00 a.m. By what time must the tuna salad be served or thrown out?

The correct answer is based on the guidelines for food safety and the time-temperature control principles that prevent foodborne illnesses. When made, tuna salad, like many other types of potentially hazardous foods, can only remain in the temperature danger zone (41°F to 135°F) for a limited amount of time before it poses a risk to consumers.

In this scenario, the tuna salad was removed from refrigeration at 9:00 a.m. and placed on a buffet at 11:00 a.m., meaning it has already been in the danger zone for 2 hours. According to food safety guidelines, potentially hazardous food should not be left in the danger zone for more than 4 hours in total. This gives the salad a safety window of a total of 4 hours starting from the initial time it was removed from the cooler.

This means that the 4-hour limit starts at 9:00 a.m., allowing the tuna salad to be safely served until 1:00 p.m. If it is not served by then, it must be discarded. The answer of 3:00 p.m. exceeds this time limit and indicates a misunderstanding of the safe holding time for the food item. Therefore, the correct understanding aligns with strict adherence to