Eating Out: The Best Practices for Avoiding Food Poisoning

Eating out is a fun way to enjoy special times with friends and family and explore new food items. There are, however, some risks involved in doing so. Food poisoning affects millions of restaurant patrons a year, but becoming a bit of an inspector of your own along with some good decisions can help you to avoid that.

Inspect the Food
If foods are supposed to be cold, it should feel cold to the touch. If foods are supposed to be hot, they should arrive steaming. Undercooked chicken or beef that is pink in the middle may contain bacteria and should be sent back. Send back any foods that have an off-putting smell or taste.

Inspect the Bathroom
Oftentimes, an unclean restaurant bathroom is an indicator of the condition of the kitchen. Check the soap container: Does it have a large amount of soap? If there is no soap, there is a good chance that the staff are not properly washing their hands and may be carrying bacteria.

Inspect the Wait Staff and Cooks
Wait staff should not have cuts on their hands, raw cuticles or bitten nails. Uniforms should be clean, and hair should be restrained. Aprons on cook staff should be clean; wiping hands on an apron can lead to bacteria spreading onto food.

Never Eat Fish on Monday
Fish is typically bought for Saturday, the busiest day for restaurants. Any fish that didn’t get sold sat in the refrigerator Sunday, and any fish that wasn’t eaten Sunday will be served on Monday. This will typically be the last day it is served before it is thrown out.

Inspect Trash Area
Take notice of if trash is overflowing in the bins. How close are the trash cans to the restaurant? Distance is important; trash attract rodents, flies, cockroaches etc. and should be a far distance from the restaurant.

Think Twice About Specials
Specials may seem thrilling, but check the environment of the restaurant to determine if the special was created to get rid of old food or to provide a new dining experience. One bad decision could make the entire family wish they’d stayed home, took advantage of their Omaha Steaks coupon codes and fired up the grill. Use the other clues gathered from your environmental inspection as well as menu prices to determine the probable cause behind a restaurant’s special.

Following these simple, yet important methods can save you and your loved ones a lot of trouble caused by irresponsible eating establishments. It’s your right to protect yourself and your family from a condition that is way more common than it should be.