State Food Safety Practice Exam

Over twenty customers who bought sliced ham at a deli have reported severe nausea and vomiting. What must the manager do immediately?

1. Pull the ham off the shelves

2. Offer full refunds to all affected customers

3. Close the deli and notify the regulatory authority

4. Install a clean in place system for the meat slicer

The correct answer is: Close the deli and notify the regulatory authority

In a situation where multiple customers report severe nausea and vomiting after consuming a specific food item, immediate action is crucial to ensure public safety. The correct course of action is to close the deli and notify the regulatory authority. This step is imperative because it helps to prevent further consumption of potentially contaminated food, thus protecting additional customers from harm. By involving the regulatory authority, a proper investigation can be launched to determine the source of the contamination, which is vital for public health and to prevent future incidents. While removing the ham from shelves or offering refunds may seem like reasonable actions, they do not address the immediate risk posed to public safety. Simply pulling the product does not prevent people from being affected until it's verified safe, and refunds do not mitigate the risk of illness that has already occurred. Installing a clean-in-place system for the meat slicer, while important for maintaining food safety standards, is not an immediate response to an ongoing outbreak and does not address the urgency of preventing further harm. Therefore, closing the deli and notifying the authorities is the most responsible and necessary action to take in this scenario.