Food Handler Card (US)
Illness and reporting: practice questions
Our Food Handler Card bank has 30 questions on this topic. Here are 5 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.
Question 1
A worker vomits in the dining room. What should happen to food left open nearby?
- It can be wiped off and served
- It can be served if nobody touched it
- It should be discarded
- It can be covered and served later
Show the answer
C. It should be discarded — Food contaminated by body discharges must be discarded.
Question 2
Exposure to Hepatitis A is reportable within how long of the last exposure?
- 24 hours
- 3 days
- 6 months
- 30 days
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D. 30 days — The Food Code sets 30 days for Hepatitis A, 14 days for Typhoid, 3 days for STEC/Shigella and 48 hours for Norovirus.
Question 3
What does it mean when a food worker is 'restricted'?
- They may not come to the establishment at all, even as a customer
- They may work only the night shift
- They may work, but not with exposed food or clean items
- They may work only with ready-to-eat food
Show the answer
C. They may work, but not with exposed food or clean items — Restrict means limiting duties so the worker does not handle exposed food, clean equipment, utensils, linens or unwrapped single-service items.
Question 4
Which diagnosis must a food worker report to the person in charge?
- Norovirus
- High blood pressure
- Seasonal allergies
- A sprained ankle
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A. Norovirus — The reportable diagnoses are Norovirus, Hepatitis A, Shigella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Typhoid fever (Salmonella Typhi) and nontyphoidal Salmonella.
Question 5
A worker at a nursing home kitchen develops a sore throat with fever. What happens?
- They are restricted to dishwashing
- They are excluded
- They may serve drinks only
- They may work with gloves on
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B. They are excluded — Where a highly susceptible population is served, a worker with sore throat and fever is excluded.