State Food Safety Practice Exam

What action must a manager take if a food worker diagnosed with E. Coli has not shown symptoms for a couple of days?

1. Restrict until Regulatory approval is obtained

2. Exclude until Regulatory approval is obtained

3. Allow the worker to resume her normal duties

4. Require her to wear single-used gloves at all times

The correct answer is: Restrict until Regulatory approval is obtained

A manager must restrict a food worker diagnosed with E. Coli from work until regulatory approval is obtained, even if the worker has not shown symptoms for a couple of days. This measure is crucial because E. Coli can still be present in the person’s system and can lead to the contamination of food and surfaces, posing a significant risk to public health. Regulatory agencies have specific protocols regarding when employees can return to work after such an illness, primarily to safeguard against the spread of pathogens. Permitting the worker to resume their normal duties would undermine food safety practices, as it ignores the potential risk of asymptomatic shedding of bacteria. While requiring the use of single-use gloves might reduce risk to some extent, it does not eliminate the danger of contamination by allowing the worker to handle food. Thus, restricting the worker from entering food preparation areas until regulatory approval ensures safety in the food establishment and aligns with public health recommendations.