Precautions for eating in restaurants

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Precautions for eating in restaurants

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 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.

Credits

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Author	Debby Golonka, MPH
Editor	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA
Associate Editor	Pat Truman, MATC
Primary Medical Reviewer	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics
Specialist Medical Reviewer	Thomas Emmett Francoeur, MDCM, CSPQ, FRCPC - Pediatrics
Last Updated	January 5, 2007

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Last updated:	January 05, 2007
Author:	Debby Golonka, MPH
Reviewed By:	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, Thomas Emmett Francoeur, MDCM, CSPQ, FRCPC - Pediatrics
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC

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