What should a manager do if a food handler brings a pot of soup made at home for customers to sample?

The appropriate course of action in this scenario is for the manager to tell the employee that outside food is not allowed. This aligns with food safety regulations and standards that govern food establishments.

When food is prepared outside of a licensed facility, there is no guarantee that it has been made under safe and sanitary conditions, which poses a significant risk of foodborne illness. Food safety protocols often necessitate that all food served to the public comes from approved sources that adhere to proper safety and sanitation standards. By prohibiting outside food, the manager helps ensure that all food served is of known origin and has been prepared in a compliant manner, thus protecting customer health.

While other choices, such as sampling the soup for safety or informing customers about its origin, may seem favorable at first glance, they do not effectively address the fundamental food safety concern associated with unregulated food items. Furthermore, allowing improperly labeled food may also mislead customers regarding food safety or allergen information, which is critical in the food service industry. Therefore, maintaining a strict policy against outside food is the best practice for safeguarding public health.