If you’re like most people, you enjoy eating out and depending on your budget, you can choose anything from the latest gourmet restaurant to that new food truck parked near your office. Although getting a meal out is more convenient than ever, foodborne illnesses continue to plague the industry, so how do you stay safe wherever you dine? Here are some tips that could help you and your loved ones avoid getting unexpectedly sick to your stomach.
Look for Before You Order
Being aware is the key to avoiding foodborne illnesses, so here are some things you should check before you order:
- Indoor Eateries: Check the outside before you enter. If the exterior is dirty and uncared for, the inside is probably going to be the same. Check to see how many cars are in the parking lot, because a lack of them is also a warning sign. And while you’re at it, look to see if there are dirty trash barrels overflowing or uncovered. Look at the kitchen door to make sure it is closed to prevent insects and other pests from making their way inside.
- Outdoor Eateries: If it is a street truck or sidewalk café, look for a long line, and if you have a delicate digestive system, make sure the line includes women and children, too. Are the employees wearing gloves while preparing the food? Is there a separate worker to process orders and handle money?
- Both Inside and Outside Places: Look for clean clothes, uniforms, and aprons on all workers. Beware of cook staff who wipe their hands on their aprons or uniforms, because that can hold germs that will spread to your food. All wait and cook staff should wear either hair-nets or use hair restraints, and have clean, well-manicured hands or wear clean gloves.
- Bargains Beware: Many people look for specials when eating out, but they aren’t always as good as they are cracked up to be. The Food Poison Journal, advises the following:
- Just Say No to the Salad Bar of Buffet: The Journal reports they are the most common areas where people will pick up foodborne illnesses at a restaurant. The reason: Food staff and customers often touch the food in buffets and salad bars, and since temperatures are usually not held at the proper levels, this allows bacteria to multiply faster.
- Steer Clear of Specials: If you know the chef or are highly familiar with the restaurant, go for the special; however, in some eateries, specials can be a convenient way to get rid of meats or produce that have been sitting around too long.
Before You Chew
It doesn’t stop there. When you get your food, check it carefully. If it doesn’t look or smell right, or if it is undercooked, send it back immediately. It should also be piping hot. If your food is cool or lukewarm, return it to the kitchen. Here are some problematic foods you should also be aware of:
- Raw Vegetables and Fruits: Although washing can decrease germs and contamination, it cannot eliminate them. Recent outbreaks showed the water used for washing produce is not clean, because they don’t replace it often enough, spreading pathogens to other produce.
Sliced fruits and vegetables left out for easy access are exposed to bacteria from hands and the environment. Watch out for sprouts, especially, because fresh manure is often used for fertilizer, which can also contaminate them. Sprouts grow in wet conditions, causing microbes to grow and spread.
What should you do if the worst happens, and you end up getting sick? You should not feel bad about wanting to find a food poisoning attorney to help you file a lawsuit because lawsuits help to keep eating establishments accountable. They can even affect our lawmakers when it comes time to create new legislation to keep people safe, and chances are, you’re not the only patron who got sick.
It is possible to eat out safely and without sacrificing your health. All you have to do is be vigilant and speak up when something isn’t right. You will not only protect yourself, you could protect many others from harm, too. Everyone has the right to eat out without getting sick, and these tips should help you do just that.
Lara Gardiner is studying to be a nutritionist and she is a mom of 3. She enjoys sharing her research and insights online through blogging.
