Final answer:
Employees showing symptoms of foodborne illness must be sent home immediately to prevent contamination of food and the spread of disease. Food safety practices like proper handwashing and correct food handling are essential to prevent infections. Immediate action is crucial in managing foodborne illnesses and ensuring safety.
Step-by-step explanation:
Employees exhibiting symptoms of a foodborne illness should be sent home immediately. These symptoms can include gastrointestinal issues like vomiting and diarrhea, and they pose a serious threat to food safety. It is crucial that employees who are sick do not handle food, as they can easily contaminate it and spread the illness to others. Preventing food contamination is essential, both in professional settings and at home, to avoid outbreaks like the Salmonella outbreak in the United States that was traced back to onions and resulted in many illnesses.
To prevent transmission of foodborne diseases, certain food safety practices must be followed. These practices include proper hand washing, cooking foods to the recommended temperatures, and storing foods properly to prevent the growth of pathogens.
The incubation period for foodborne illnesses can vary, making it sometimes difficult to trace back the illness to the specific contaminated food source. Regardless, immediate action is required when someone displays symptoms of a foodborne disease to minimize its spread.