A manager checks a new prep cook's hands. Which fingernail condition meets Food Code requirements for someone handling exposed food?
Explanation
Food handlers must keep fingernails trimmed, filed, and clean so they can be maintained; if they wear nail polish or artificial nails, they must wear gloves when touching exposed food, because polish can chip into food and artificial nails can harbor pathogens and break off. Long nails trap soil and pathogens under the tips that scrubbing does not reliably reach, chipped polish is a physical contaminant no matter how short the nail is, and a securely glued artificial nail still needs a glove over it. Clean, short natural nails are the safe standard for bare-hand tasks like handwashing.
Law Reference: FDA Food Code §2-302.11Practice all 500 questions free — no signup required.
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