20 Personal Hygiene & Employee Health Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. At a family restaurant that does not serve a highly susceptible population, a line cook tells the person in charge at the start of her shift that she has a sore throat with fever. What must the person in charge do?

   • A.Move her to warewashing to handle cleaned equipment and utensils
   • B.Keep her at work but away from exposed food and clean equipment✓ Answer
   • C.Let her keep cooking as long as she wears gloves and a face covering
   • D.Send her home and exclude her until a doctor clears her in writing

   Acute sore throat with fever is a symptom the employee must report, and it calls for restriction rather than exclusion in an operation that does not serve a highly susceptible population. A restricted employee may stay at work but may not work with exposed food, clean equipment, utensils, linens, or unwrapped single-service articles; the same symptom would require full exclusion only where the guests are a highly susceptible population.

   Source: FDA Food Code — restriction of a food employee with acute sore throat with feverReport a problem with this question

2. 2. A server at a hotel banquet operation that does not serve a highly susceptible population vomited once during her shift and says she now feels fine. What is the person in charge required to do?

   • A.Let her finish the shift if she washes her hands and changes uniform
   • B.Restrict her to bussing tables because the guests are not susceptible
   • C.Restrict her to wrapped single-service items and packaged beverages
   • D.Exclude her from the establishment until she meets the return criteria✓ Answer

   Vomiting and diarrhea require exclusion in every food establishment, regardless of the population served, because the pathogens that cause them spread readily from an employee who feels better but is still shedding. The highly-susceptible-population branch applies to sore throat with fever and to certain symptom-free diagnoses, not to vomiting or diarrhea; only written medical documentation of a noninfectious cause changes the outcome.

   Source: FDA Food Code — exclusion of food employees with vomiting or diarrheaReport a problem with this question

3. 3. A prep cook at a sports bar has no symptoms but brings a doctor's note showing he was diagnosed with nontyphoidal Salmonella. The bar does not serve a highly susceptible population. What must the person in charge do?

   • A.Let him work with food while wearing gloves and watching him closely
   • B.Exclude him, because any confirmed diagnosis requires full exclusion
   • C.Nothing beyond retraining him, since he has no symptoms right now
   • D.Restrict him from exposed food, clean equipment, and utensils✓ Answer

   A symptom-free diagnosis of nontyphoidal Salmonella calls for restriction whether or not the operation serves a highly susceptible population — it is the diagnosis whose response does not change with the population, which is exactly why it is so often missed. The person in charge must also notify the regulatory authority of the diagnosis, and reinstatement will require that authority's approval.

   Source: FDA Food Code — restriction of a food employee diagnosed with nontyphoidal Salmonella without symptomsReport a problem with this question

4. 4. A dishwasher arrives at a coffee shop with yellowing of the eyes and skin that coworkers say began two days ago. Besides removing him from the operation, what else does the person in charge owe?

   • A.Restrict him and let him return with a note once the color fades
   • B.Restrict him to warewashing and notify the authority in writing
   • C.Exclude him and notify the regulatory authority of the jaundice✓ Answer
   • D.Exclude him and log the case for the next routine inspection

   Jaundice of recent onset requires exclusion regardless of the population served, and it is one of the conditions the person in charge must report onward to the regulatory authority rather than simply handle in house. That onward notification exists because jaundice may signal a fecal-orally transmitted infection that the authority needs to investigate; reinstatement will then require regulatory approval and, where applicable, medical documentation.

   Source: FDA Food Code — exclusion for jaundice and person in charge notification of the regulatory authorityReport a problem with this question

5. 5. A cook in the kitchen of a child-care center is diagnosed with Shigella but has no symptoms at all. What must the person in charge do?

   • A.Exclude the cook only if a second stool culture is positive
   • B.Restrict the cook to preparing only food that will be cooked
   • C.Exclude the cook, because the guests are a susceptible population✓ Answer
   • D.Restrict the cook, because the diagnosis came without symptoms

   For a symptom-free Shigella diagnosis the required action turns on the population served: exclusion where the establishment serves a highly susceptible population, restriction where it does not. Preschool-age children in a child-care setting are a highly susceptible population, so exclusion applies; the person in charge must also notify the regulatory authority of the diagnosis.

   Source: FDA Food Code — exclusion of a food employee diagnosed with Shigella in an establishment serving a highly susceptible populationReport a problem with this question

6. 6. Two excluded employees want to come back: one had diarrhea with no diagnosis and has now been symptom-free for the period the operation's policy requires; the other was excluded after a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis. How should the person in charge handle the two returns?

   • A.Both may return once symptom-free; neither needs outside sign-off
   • B.Both need only a doctor's note releasing them back to food work
   • C.Only the diagnosed employee's return needs regulatory approval✓ Answer
   • D.Both must have written approval from the regulatory authority

   An employee excluded only for symptoms, with no diagnosis, may be reinstated once asymptomatic for the required period or with written medical documentation of a noninfectious cause, and no regulatory involvement is needed. Every reinstatement following a diagnosis is different: the person in charge must obtain approval from the regulatory authority, and several diagnoses add their own waiting period or negative-culture condition on top.

   Source: FDA Food Code — removing exclusions and restrictions of food employeesReport a problem with this question

7. 7. The person in charge is training staff on what they must report before or during a shift. Which condition must a food employee report to the person in charge?

   • A.A headache and sore muscles after a double shift
   • B.A dry seasonal cough with a stuffy nose, no fever
   • C.A boil on the wrist that is open and draining pus✓ Answer
   • D.A rash on the ankle a dermatologist called eczema

   A lesion containing pus that is open or draining is one of the symptoms a food employee must report to the person in charge, along with vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, and sore throat with fever, because such a lesion sheds bacteria capable of causing foodborne illness. Ordinary aches, seasonal congestion, and a diagnosed noninfectious skin condition are not reportable, though persistent sneezing or a runny nose still keeps an employee away from exposed food.

   Source: FDA Food Code — food employee reporting of symptoms to the person in chargeReport a problem with this question

8. 8. During an inspection the person in charge says all employees were told about their duty to report illness at a staff meeting. The inspector asks for proof. What should the operation be able to show?

   • A.A printed roster of who attended the most recent staff meeting
   • B.A handwashing sign and the meeting date on the manager's calendar
   • C.Signed acknowledgements from employees of their duty to report✓ Answer
   • D.A copy of the manager's certificate filed at the corporate office

   The person in charge must inform food employees and conditional employees of their reporting responsibilities in a verifiable manner, which means the operation has to produce evidence an inspector can actually check. A signed acknowledgement retained on site does that; a verbal briefing, an attendance list, or posted signage leaves no record that each individual was informed of what to report and to whom.

   Source: FDA Food Code — person in charge duty to inform employees of reporting responsibilities in a verifiable mannerReport a problem with this question

9. 9. An inspector arrives and asks the person in charge to demonstrate knowledge of foodborne illness prevention. Which of these, by itself, satisfies that demonstration?

   • A.Showing that every food employee holds a food handler card
   • B.Producing the written employee health policy with sign-offs
   • C.Providing the corporate manual and last quarter's audit score
   • D.Holding a manager certification from an accredited program✓ Answer

   Demonstration of knowledge can be satisfied in more than one way: by being a certified food protection manager through an accredited program, by correctly answering the inspector's questions across the required knowledge areas, or by the inspection finding no priority-item violations. A written health policy, employee cards, and corporate manuals are separate requirements that do not stand in for the person in charge's own knowledge, and the code separately requires the person in charge to be a certified food protection manager.

   Source: FDA Food Code — demonstration of knowledge by the person in charge and the certified food protection manager requirementReport a problem with this question

10. 10. A multi-unit operator wants each person in charge to actually control handwashing rather than assume it happens. Which practice meets the person in charge's duty for employee handwashing?

    • A.Routinely observing employees wash their hands and correcting lapses✓ Answer
    • B.Stocking soap and single-use towels at every handwashing sink daily
    • C.Requiring each new hire to take a handwashing class before day one
    • D.Posting handwashing signs at every sink and in the break room

    The code makes the person in charge responsible for ensuring that employees are effectively cleaning their hands by routinely monitoring their handwashing, which is an active supervisory duty rather than a one-time announcement. Signs, training, and stocked sinks are all necessary supports, but none of them tells the manager whether washing is actually happening at the moment it is required, and only observation allows immediate correction and coaching.

    Source: FDA Food Code — person in charge duty to routinely monitor employee handwashingReport a problem with this question

11. 11. A manager sees a cook rinse his hands in the vegetable prep sink after handling raw poultry, then return to the cutting board. What is the correct corrective action?

    • A.Have him put on gloves and keep working, then retrain him later
    • B.Accept it if he applies a hand antiseptic before touching food
    • C.Have him wash at a handwashing sink and sanitize the prep sink✓ Answer
    • D.Have him rewash in the warewashing sink, where hot water is

    Hands may be washed only at a handwashing sink or an approved automatic handwashing facility, never in a food preparation, warewashing, service, or mop sink, because a hand-contaminated sink then contaminates whatever is washed in it next. The correction therefore has two parts: proper washing at the correct sink, and cleaning and sanitizing the prep sink before produce touches it again.

    Source: FDA Food Code — restriction of handwashing sink use and prohibition on washing hands in other sinksReport a problem with this question

12. 12. An owner asks the manager to install hand sanitizer dispensers on the prep line so cooks can "sanitize instead of walking to the sink." How should the manager respond?

    • A.Refuse it, because antiseptics may only follow proper handwashing✓ Answer
    • B.Allow it at peak service, when the line cannot leave the station
    • C.Allow it if the cooks also change gloves between each task
    • D.Allow it for employees who work only with already cooked food

    A hand antiseptic may be used only after hands have been properly washed, never in place of washing. Washing works mechanically: soap loosens soil and the fatty films that shield microorganisms, friction lifts them off the skin, and running water flushes them down the drain, while an antiseptic rubbed onto soiled hands cannot remove that soil and is blocked by it.

    Source: FDA Food Code — hand antiseptics permitted only following proper handwashingReport a problem with this question

13. 13. A cook finishes portioning raw ground beef, pulls off his gloves, and reaches for new gloves to assemble sandwiches. What must happen between the two tasks?

    • A.Rinse his gloved hands, then change gloves at the sandwich station
    • B.Wash his hands at a handwashing sink before putting on new gloves✓ Answer
    • C.Change apron and gloves, and wash only if his hands look soiled
    • D.He may put the new gloves on, since the old ones came off clean

    Hands must be washed when switching between raw animal food and ready-to-eat food, and again before putting on gloves, so this transition requires washing on both counts. Gloves are a barrier over the hands, not a replacement for cleaning them: hands pick up contamination during glove removal, and a new glove pulled over dirty hands can leak or tear and transfer that contamination to sandwiches.

    Source: FDA Food Code — when food employees must wash hands, including before donning gloves and when changing from raw to ready-to-eat foodReport a problem with this question

14. 14. A manager watches an employee in single-use gloves take out the trash, come back, and keep building salads in the same gloves. Which rule did the employee break?

    • A.Gloves may be reused after a break if rinsed and still intact
    • B.Gloves are for one task and discarded when work is interrupted✓ Answer
    • C.Gloves must be changed only when torn or visibly soiled
    • D.Gloves may be worn all shift as long as hands were washed first

    Single-use gloves are used for one task only and must be discarded when damaged or soiled and whenever the operation is interrupted, which is exactly what a trip to the dumpster is. Rinsing a glove does not restore it, and the correction is to discard the gloves, wash hands at a handwashing sink, and put on a fresh pair before returning to ready-to-eat work.

    Source: FDA Food Code — single-use gloves used for only one task and discarded when soiled or interruptedReport a problem with this question

15. 15. In an operation with no approved bare-hand-contact procedure, which task may a food employee perform with bare hands?

    • A.Placing sliced tomato and lettuce on a sandwich before wrapping
    • B.Portioning cooked chicken salad into cups for the cold case
    • C.Garnishing plated desserts with fresh berries before service
    • D.Washing whole lettuce and tomatoes at the produce prep sink✓ Answer

    Bare-hand contact with exposed ready-to-eat food is prohibited unless the establishment has an approved alternative procedure, so employees must use tongs, deli tissue, spatulas, dispensing equipment, or single-use gloves. Washing raw fruits and vegetables is a recognized exception because the produce is being cleaned rather than served, and the wash step itself removes soil the hands might leave behind.

    Source: FDA Food Code — prohibition on bare hand contact with ready-to-eat food and the exception for washing fruits and vegetablesReport a problem with this question

16. 16. The chef at a hospital cafeteria wants approval to let cooks handle ready-to-eat food with clean bare hands. How should the person in charge answer?

    • A.It is allowed once employees sign a handwashing acknowledgement
    • B.It is not allowed anywhere; utensils have no approved alternative
    • C.It is allowed if double handwashing is in a written procedure
    • D.It does not apply here, because this is a susceptible population✓ Answer

    The alternative that allows bare-hand contact is available only to establishments that do not serve a highly susceptible population, and a hospital cafeteria serves one. Even where it is available, it requires prior approval from the regulatory authority, written procedures naming the specific foods and controls, documented handwashing facilities, and a written employee health policy with signed acknowledgements from employees and the person in charge.

    Source: FDA Food Code — conditions for an approved alternative to no bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foodReport a problem with this question

17. 17. A cook has a small cut on his index finger and wants to keep working the sauté line, where he also plates garnishes. What must the person in charge require?

    • A.A waterproof bandage alone, with an hourly check of the hand
    • B.An impermeable cover on the finger plus a single-use glove✓ Answer
    • C.A dry bandage on the finger and a wristband marking the injury
    • D.Reassignment to warewashing until the cut has fully closed

    A bandage, finger cot, or finger stall on the hand, finger, or wrist of an employee who works with exposed food must be covered by a single-use glove. The double barrier serves two purposes: the glove keeps the dressing from loosening and falling into food, and it keeps wound fluid and skin bacteria from reaching the food if the dressing wets through.

    Source: FDA Food Code — bandages and finger cots on hands or wrists covered with a single-use gloveReport a problem with this question

18. 18. During a pre-shift check the person in charge looks at how staff are dressed and groomed before they touch exposed food. Which observation requires corrective action?

    • A.A cook wearing a plain wedding band portioning cooked rice
    • B.A cook wearing a medical-information bracelet trimming produce✓ Answer
    • C.A baker with short, filed, unpolished nails shaping dough
    • D.A server with a hair restraint carrying plated food to a table

    While preparing food, employees may not wear jewelry on their hands or arms except a plain ring such as a wedding band, and the prohibition expressly includes medical-information jewelry, which surprises many candidates. Stones, links, and clasps trap soil and moisture that hands cannot be washed clean of, and the piece itself can fall into food; the other three observations comply.

    Source: FDA Food Code — jewelry prohibition for food employees, with fingernail and hair restraint requirementsReport a problem with this question

19. 19. In the food preparation area, which employee behavior is allowed rather than a violation the person in charge must correct?

    • A.Drinking from a closed container handled to keep food clean✓ Answer
    • B.Eating a sandwich at the end of the prep table between tasks
    • C.Drinking from an open cup left on a shelf above the table
    • D.Chewing gum while portioning cold salads at the prep table

    Employees may eat, drink, or use tobacco only in designated areas, but there is a narrow allowance: a food employee may drink from a closed beverage container provided it is handled so that the hands, the container, and exposed food are not contaminated. Eating, and gum chewing treated the same way, put the mouth and hands in repeated contact over open food, and an open cup can spill or shed condensate into product.

    Source: FDA Food Code — eating, drinking, and tobacco use by food employees, with the closed beverage container allowanceReport a problem with this question

20. 20. A guest vomits in the dining room of a buffet restaurant. What must the operation already have in place for this situation?

    • A.A stock of spare aprons and hair restraints near the dining room
    • B.A service contract with an on-call outside cleaning company
    • C.A logbook template for recording guest illness complaints
    • D.Written procedures employees follow when cleaning up the event✓ Answer

    A food establishment must have written procedures for employees to follow when responding to vomiting or diarrheal events, covering the specific actions that minimize the spread of contamination and the exposure of employees, guests, food, and surfaces. The requirement exists because vomitus can aerosolize highly infectious virus particles across a wide area; exposed food is discarded, the area is cleaned and disinfected, and an employee who vomits is excluded.

    Source: FDA Food Code — written procedures for responding to vomiting and diarrheal eventsReport a problem with this question

Practice questions based on the FDA Food Code and the published content areas used by ANSI/ANAB-CFP accredited food protection manager exams. Not affiliated with ServSafe® or the National Restaurant Association. Requirements are set by your regulatory authority, and jurisdictions adopt different editions of the model code — confirm the rules and thresholds that apply to your operation with your local health department before your exam. FDA Food Code →