How should staff respond when a customer reports an allergen exposure?

• A. Assume the dish is safe and continue service.
• B. Inform the kitchen, isolate the dish, offer safe alternatives, and document.
• C. Ignore the report and retaste the dish.
• D. Quarantine the entire station and discard all dishes.

Answer: (B)

When a customer reports an allergen exposure, act quickly because protecting the guest and preventing cross-contact is the priority. The best approach is to inform the kitchen about the allergen and the dish involved, isolate or remove that dish from service to stop further exposure, offer safe alternatives to the guest, and document the incident. This sequence keeps the guest safe, helps the operation manage risk, and creates a record for follow-up and training. Informing the kitchen gets the right people aware so they can prevent related cross-contact; isolating the dish stops the immediate danger; offering safe alternatives maintains the guest’s dining experience; and documenting the incident ensures accountability and future prevention. The other options miss the necessary, safety-focused steps: assuming the dish is safe ignores the risk; ignoring and re-tasting is unsafe; quarantining the whole station and discarding all dishes is an excessive, wasteful response that doesn’t target the specific risk. If symptoms develop, encourage medical attention.