Food workers sick with an illness that can be transmitted by contact with food or through food should be:

A) Encouraged to continue working with proper hygiene practices

B) Isolated from customers but can continue food handling with gloves

C) Restricted from food handling until symptom-free for a specific period

D) Exempt from handwashing requirements to avoid spreading the illness

Food workers ill with a transmittable disease should be restricted from handling food until symptom-free. Strict hygiene and handwashing protocols are essential in such situations to prevent the spread of foodborne diseases.

Explanation:

Food workers sick with an illness that can be transmitted by contact with food or through food should be restricted from food handling until symptom-free for a specific period. This policy is critical to prevent the spread of pathogens and ensure food safety.

Proper hygiene practices, including regular handwashing, are essential defenses against the transmission of foodborne diseases. Food workers exhibiting symptoms pose a risk of spreading illness to consumers and other staff members, which can be particularly dangerous for vulnerable populations such as pregnant women, young children, older adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems.

Therefore, options such as continuing to work with proper hygiene practices, working isolated with gloves, or being exempt from handwashing requirements are not appropriate for ensuring public health safety.