(1) When a possible foodborne illness incident is reported to any food employee, the person in charge of the food establishment must:
(a) Immediately report the incident to the regulatory authority; and
(b) Remove from sale and refrigerate any suspect foods until released by the regulatory authority.
(2) When the regulatory authority suspects that a food establishment, or its employees, might be a source of a foodborne illness, the regulatory authority must take appropriate action to control the transmission of disease. This action may include any or all of the following:
(a) Secure records that might enable identification of persons potentially exposed to the disease, and/or require additional assistance in locating such persons;
(b) Secure the illness history of each suspected employee;
(c) Exclude any suspected employee(s) from working in food establishments until, in the opinion of the regulatory authority, there is no further risk of disease transmission;
(d) Suspend the permit of the food establishment until, in the opinion of the regulatory authority, there is no further risk of disease transmission;
(e) Restrict the work activities of any suspected employee;
(f) Require medical and laboratory examinations of any food employee and of his/her body discharges;
(g) Obtain any suspect food for laboratory examination;
(h) Require the destruction of, or placement of a hold order on, all suspect food; and
(i) Limit, substitute, or restrict menu items or food handling practices that may be associated with causing illness.
(3) The provisions of chapter
246-100 WAC, Communicable and certain other diseases, apply.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050, 43.20.145 and 69.80.060. 04-22-111, § 246-215-260, filed 11/3/04, effective 5/2/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050. 92-08-112 (Order 261B), § 246-215-260, filed 4/1/92, effective 5/2/92.]