If over 20 customers who bought sliced ham report severe nausea and vomiting, what must the manager do immediately?

• A. Notify regulators only
• B. Inform customers individually
• C. Continue service
• D. Close the deli and notify the regulatory authorities

Answer: (D)

When you hear about many customers becoming seriously ill after a specific food item, the priority is to stop any further exposure and get help from public health authorities. Closing the deli and notifying regulatory authorities is the correct course because it immediately prevents additional people from being exposed and starts an official investigation to identify the source, control the spread, and determine if a recall or other action is needed. This also helps preserve evidence, such as the implicated product and batch information, so investigators can trace what went wrong and prevent a recurrence.

Notifying regulators alone doesn’t stop ongoing service, so more people could become sick while the investigation is underway. Informing customers individually doesn’t prevent additional exposure or trigger an official investigation. Continuing service would likelihood worsen the outbreak and complicate containment.