After coughing into a tissue and throwing it away, what must a line cook do before handling food again?
a.Put on a face mask and go back to the line, since the mask blocks the pathogens
b.Wash his hands, since coughing and handling the tissue contaminated them
c.Nothing further, because catching the cough in the tissue kept his hands clean
d.Wait five minutes for the droplets to settle, then go back to plating food
Explanation
Coughing or sneezing, even into a tissue, contaminates the hands, so the cook must wash his hands before returning to food. A tissue helps, but holding and discarding it still transfers respiratory secretions and pathogens to the hands, so it does not leave them clean. A mask covers the mouth and does nothing for hands that are already contaminated, and waiting for droplets to settle removes nothing from the skin.
Law Reference: FDA Food Code §2-301.14Practice all 500 questions free — no signup required.
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