A food employee wants to drink a bottle of water while working the prep line. Under California Retail Food Code §113974, which option describes the ONLY compliant way to drink while on duty in a food prep area?
Explanation
California Retail Food Code HSC §113974 prohibits eating, drinking, and tobacco use in food preparation, food storage, and warewashing areas, with one narrow exception: an employee may drink from a CLOSED beverage container that has both a lid AND a straw (or sip-tube), and the container must be handled in a way that prevents contamination of the employee's hands, the container, food, and food-contact surfaces. The closed-lid-plus-straw design prevents the rim of the container from contacting the lips and then the hands and then food. Option A is wrong because an open cup exposes the rim and the water to splash and droplets. Option B is wrong because a coffee mug without a straw still contaminates the lip of the mug; in addition, placing a beverage on a cutting board contaminates a food-contact surface. Option C is wrong because hand-held bottles touch the lips. Eating and tobacco use remain fully prohibited in prep areas — there is no closed-container exception for food or tobacco.
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