Your Guide to Safer Eating Out and Taking Out Introduction You're probably already taking precautions against foodborne illness at home, but you need to be careful when you are away from home too. Here are four easy steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones when you are selecting foods that are ready to eat at a restaurant, delicatessen, take-out counter, or grocery store. |
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1 Be Aware of Raw or Undercooked Foods |
Foods from animals such as meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, and eggs when eaten raw or undercooked sometimes contain harmful viruses and bacteria that can pose a risk of foodborne illness. Young children, pregnant women, older adults, and those with compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable. You are at increased risk if you suffer from liver disease or alcoholism, if you have decreased stomach acidity (due to gastric surgery or the use of antacids), or if you have a compromised immune system due to: steroid use; conditions such as AIDS, cancer, or diabetes; or treatments such as chemotherapy.
To reduce your chances of foodborne illness you should stay away from:
2 Ask About Preparation |
Recipes vary. If you're not sure whether a ready-to-eat item contains undercooked ingredients, ask how the food is prepared.
3 Request that Food be Thoroughly Cooked |
If the item you are interested in selecting contains raw or undercooked meat, fish, shellfish, or eggs, ask if that ingredient can be eliminated. If the food is prepared to order, ask for it thoroughly cooked.
4 Make a Different Choice |
With certain foods, such as oysters on the half shell or an egg-based mousse, it may be impossible to accommodate your request for thorough cooking. In that case, simply choose something else. It is a minor inconvenience compared to the major problems caused by foodborne illness.
To learn more about foodborne illness and ways to prevent it, talk to your health care professional or your local health department, or visit the www.FoodSafety.gov web site.
While the following model chart is included in the FDA model brochure, inclusion in a custom-designed brochure, in whole or in part, is optional. Portions of the chart may be selected for use rather than using the entire chart, if only certain portions apply based on the foods offered. For example, a food establishment serving only shucked molluscan shellfish such as oysters on the half shell, may opt to include the portion of the chart dealing with shucked molluscan shellfish and omit the other portions.
The model chart is not intended to be used independently of the brochure. Use of the chart alone constitutes noncompliance with the reminder requirement.
Foodborne illness is preventable - if you take the right precautions | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Implementation Guidance for the Consumer Advisory Provision of the FDA Food Code (including Model Brochure)
Hypertext updated by cjm/dms 2001-JAN-03