Certified Professional Food Safety (CP-FS) Practice Exam

Which of the following illnesses requires employee exclusion from food service?

1. Flu

2. Salmonella Typhi

3. Common cold

4. Allergic reactions

The correct answer is: Salmonella Typhi

The answer focuses on Salmonella Typhi as the illness that requires employee exclusion from food service due to its potential severe consequences for public health. Salmonella Typhi, which causes typhoid fever, is a highly infectious bacterial illness that can be transmitted through food and water contaminated by an infected individual. Employees who are carrying this pathogen, even if asymptomatic, can pose a significant risk of spreading the infection to customers through food handling, which is why strict exclusion policies are implemented. In contrast, while the flu and common cold are contagious illnesses, food service workers can often continue working if they are managing their symptoms effectively and are not directly involved in food preparation or service when symptomatic. Allergic reactions, although serious, typically do not require exclusion unless they are severe and pose a risk of anaphylaxis, which is not as universally applicable as the case with Salmonella Typhi. Hence, the necessity of exclusion in the case of Salmonella Typhi is grounded in the illness's highly contagious nature and the severe ramifications it can have on public health when foodborne transmission occurs.