When can a food handler diagnosed with jaundice return to work?

A food handler diagnosed with jaundice must receive approval from the regulatory authority before returning to work. This is crucial because jaundice can indicate a serious underlying illness, such as hepatitis A, that is transmissible through food. To prevent any risk of foodborne illness, it is essential that the regulatory authority evaluates the employee's health status and determines whether they have recovered sufficiently to no longer pose a risk to public health.

Other potential options, such as returning after a certain time period or upon feeling better, do not sufficiently ensure that the food handler is no longer contagious or that they have fully recovered, which could compromise food safety and public health. Hence, regulatory authority approval is the most responsible and effective means of ensuring safe food handling practices.