A manager suspects a foodborne illness outbreak after several customers report similar symptoms from the same meal. What should the manager do first?
a.Throw out the suspect food, scrub the pans, and reopen the line so nothing tainted is served
b.Gather information, set aside the suspect food, and contact the local regulatory authority
c.Tell staff to say nothing and settle the complaints privately, without alerting the regulator
d.Wait for a physician or the county health department to telephone first
Explanation
When an outbreak is suspected the manager acts first, not last: gather details from the affected guests, then isolate and label the suspect food so it is neither served nor discarded, and call the local health department. Note the word first in the stem — the suspect food is the evidence, so throwing it out, scrubbing the pans, and reopening the line destroys it, settling complaints privately hides a hazard the regulator has to see, and waiting for a physician or the county to telephone lets more guests be served.
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