ServSafe Manager Practice Exam

When should a food handler with a sore throat and fever be excluded from the operation?

1. When food handlers are required to wear gloves

2. When the customers served are primarily a high-risk population

3. When the food handler feels too tired to work

4. When the food is served at high temperatures

The correct answer is: When the customers served are primarily a high-risk population

A food handler exhibiting symptoms such as a sore throat and fever should be excluded from the operation primarily when the customers served are part of a high-risk population. This population includes individuals such as the elderly, young children, pregnant women, or those with compromised immune systems, who are more vulnerable to foodborne illnesses. The reasoning behind this exclusion is rooted in the responsibility to protect these sensitive groups from potential infection. Various pathogens can be transmitted through food, and individuals with a sore throat and fever could be carrying viruses or bacteria that can lead to foodborne illnesses, increasing the risk of outbreak among these vulnerable populations. Therefore, by excluding the affected food handler, the risk of transmission is significantly minimized, supporting a safer food service environment. Other considerations, such as whether food handlers are required to wear gloves, the food handler's personal fatigue, or the serving temperatures of food, do not prioritize public health in the same way. For a food handler with fever and sore throat, focusing on the risk to guests, particularly those most susceptible, is the critical factor in determining the need for exclusion.