Which statement best reflects the personal health policy for food handlers?

• A. As a food handler, you are responsible for caring for your own health to prevent foodborne illness
• B. Health is the sole responsibility of management
• C. Illness can be ignored when not feeling well
• D. Customers should monitor the health of staff

Answer: (A)

Your personal health is the key factor in preventing foodborne illness. As a food handler, you are responsible for caring for your own health and for not working when you are sick. If you have symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, fever, or jaundice, you should report them to your supervisor and stay home or be reassigned away from food handling until you’re cleared. This self-management helps prevent pathogens from spreading through hands, utensils, or surfaces to the foods customers eat. While management should support and enforce health policies, the responsibility to monitor and act on your health starts with you. The other ideas miss the mark because they either shift the burden entirely to others or suggest ignoring illness, which would increase the risk of contaminating food and harming customers.