How to Protect Yourself From Common Foodborne Illnesses

There are some simple precautions you can take in order to reduce the risk of contracting common foodborne illnesses when at home and when patronizing a restaurant. When cooking at home, you should:

• Cook poultry, meat and eggs thoroughly. Use a thermometer to measure the internal temperature of meat. Ground beef, for instance, should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160°F. Eggs should be cooked until the yolk is firm.

• Avoid cross-contamination of foods by washing utensils, cutting boards and your hands after they have been in contact with raw poultry or meat before they touch another food. After cooking meat, put it back on a clean platter.

• If leftover food will not be eaten within four hours, refrigerate it promptly. Large volumes of food should be divided and stored in smaller, shallow containers so that it cools more quickly.

• Rinse fresh vegetables and fruit to remove visible grime and dirt. Remove the outermost leaves of a head of cabbage or lettuce. Do not contaminate fruits or vegetables when slicing them. Before preparing food, wash your hands with soap and water. Do not prepare food for others if you have diarrhea or change a baby’s diaper while preparing food.

• If you suspect foodborne illness, report it to your local health department. Early detection of an outbreak can help limit its consequences. In their investigations, health officials can learn as much from healthy people as from those who are ill, so your cooperation is important.

You can reduce the risk of contracting a common foodborne illness in a restaurant first by choosing which restaurant to dine at. The local health department inspects restaurants to ensure they are clean and have adequate kitchen facilities. The restaurant’s jurisdiction may require that the latest inspection score be posted in the restaurant; otherwise you may wish to contact the local health department to get this score. You may also wish to choose restaurants that specifically train their staff in proper food safety practices.

If you order a hamburger, ask for it to be cooked to at least a medium temperature and send it back if it is still pink in the middle. Items such as omelets, French toast and scrambled eggs, which are prepared with multiple eggs pooled together, should be made with pasteurized eggs. If such is not the case, choose something else from the menu.

If you believe that you or a loved one has been injured by contaminated food, please call or email our experienced personal injury attorneys today.