State Food Safety Practice Exam

An employee is chewing gum when she arrives to her shift. Under what circumstance may the manager allow her to chew gum?

1. If she wears single-use gloves

2. If she does not handle ready-to-eat foods

3. If she does not blow bubbles with the gum

4. If she only chews the gum in the break room

The correct answer is: If she only chews the gum in the break room

Allowing an employee to chew gum only in the break room aligns with food safety practices by designating a specific area away from food preparation or serving zones. This helps mitigate the risk of contamination that can occur when someone is engaged in activities like chewing gum near food, which can lead to spitting, pieces of gum falling, or bacteria spreading. The break room is typically a designated area where eating, drinking, or chewing may occur without posing a health risk to food products or customers. In contrast, chewing gum while working in food preparation areas could lead to cross-contamination, regardless of whether gloves are worn, if ready-to-eat foods are handled, or if bubbles are not blown. Hence, limiting gum chewing to the break room supports maintaining sanitary conditions in food service environments.