Illinois Food Safety Manager Certification Practice Exam 2025 – All-In-One Resource for Exam Success!

The correct choice relates to the handling of ready-to-eat foods, particularly in the context of food safety regulations that typically discourage bare hand contact to prevent foodborne illnesses. Washing fruits and vegetables is an allowable task where bare hand contact is permitted without requiring approval from regulatory authorities. This is because washing is a necessary step to remove dirt, pesticides, and potentially harmful microorganisms from the surface of the produce, and it is generally understood that the hands would come into contact with the foods during this process.

In contrast, handling bread directly, plating salads for service, and serving food directly to customers generally fall under practices that require the use of utensils or gloves to mitigate the risk of contamination. These tasks involve direct contact with food that is ready to eat, and strict guidelines are in place to maintain food safety standards, which aim to protect consumer health. Therefore, bare hand contact is not permitted in these scenarios without prior approval from regulatory authorities, focusing on even higher levels of protection against foodborne pathogens.

Thus, the act of washing fruits and vegetables stands out as the only task that allows for bare hand contact under the established health guidelines without necessitating specific regulatory permission.