To protect yourself from food-borne illnesses, the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) recommends taking the following precautions while dining
out.
Be choosy when selecting restaurants to frequent
- Note the general cleanliness of the facility and
staff. If you aren't confident that conditions are sanitary,
leave.
- Restaurants are inspected by the local health department for
cleanliness and proper kitchen procedures. Find out the inspection scores of
selected restaurants (they are sometimes posted in the restaurant).
- Find out whether food safety training is regularly provided for
staff.
Give specific directions and ask questions. Do
everything you can to ensure your food is prepared properly.
- Make sure meat is cooked at the proper
temperature. For example, when ordering a hamburger, ask for it to be cooked to
a temperature of 160
°F (71.1
°C)
and send it back if it is still pink in the middle.
- Order eggs
cooked so the yolk is firm. When you order an item that combines eggs, such as
omelets, request pasteurized eggs. Choose a different menu item if pasteurized
eggs are not available.
