How to Avoid Food Poisoning at Home and in Restaurants, According to Experts

Anyone who’s ever had food poisoning, be it from undercooked food, tainted fish or food in the fridge that sat around for a few days too many, understands the motivation to avoid it. Getting sick from something you ate can keep you locked in your bathroom for days on end. But it’s not just unpleasant. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 9.9 million Americans acquired foodborne illnesses at their homes in 2019. About 53,000 of those people were hospitalized, and 931 died. 

Thankfully, we are not powerless against this threat. “There are things we can do at home to protect our loved ones,” says Lisa Yakas, a microbiologist at NSF, a public health organization. 

Here’s what you need to know about keeping food safe when cooking at home and dining out.

What is foodborne illness?

Let’s start with a quick definition: Foodborne illness is any pathogen that is found in food and can make you sick, including bacteria, viruses and sometimes parasites. That’s according to Dr. Vanessa Coffman, director of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness.

Common examples are E. Coli and salmonella, but those are not the only ones that can affect you. In 2021, for example, there was an outbreak of the cronobacter sakazakii pathogen in baby formula, which caused illness and death in some infants. 

How to handle food safely in your kitchen

There’s a lot you can do at home to prevent you and your family from getting food poisoning. Here are the top tips from experts Coffman and Yakas.

• “The first step in every recipe is to wash your hands,” Yakas says. Before you start cooking, wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds.

• Make sure you’re cooking with clean utensils. That includes clean cutting boards and countertops. 

• Wash your fruits and vegetables. Food producers follow certain protocols to make sure food is safe when it arrives at the grocery store, but you can take an extra precaution by washing produce before you use it.

• Keep vegetables away from raw meats. Consider using two separate cutting boards for each, or cut your vegetables first before letting raw meat touch the cutting board.

• Use a food thermometer. When you’re done cooking, test your food (especially your meat) to make sure it’s fully cooked. Hamburgers or leftovers, for example, should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees fahrenheit. “When in doubt, you can always overcook something,” Coffman says, but that doesn’t mean you have to cook something until it’s charred. “Your food can be safe and still taste good.”

• Make sure your fridge and freezer are at the proper temperature. This ensures your food isn’t spoiling before you cook it. (Pro tip: You can keep your meat on the bottom shelf to protect against it dripping onto other foods.) Here’s a helpful guide to where everything should go in your fridge, according to temperature zones.

• Don’t leave food at room temperature for more than two hours. After that, it needs to be thrown out. In the summer heat, foods can only stay out safely for about an hour. If you’re hosting a party, you can always put food in the fridge and take it out again later, so it doesn’t sit out too long.

• Defrost meat according to USDA guidelines. Safety professionals warn against thawing meat, especially large cuts, anywhere but the fridge. Here are the USDA’s guidelines for thawing meat.

• Eat your leftovers within 3-4 days, and reheat them properly. Just like cooking meat, you can use a thermometer to ensure your leftovers reach a safe internal temperature of 165. Also make sure the food is evenly mixed without any cold spots. Leftover sauces and soups should be brought to a boil. Here are 15 foods lurking in your fridge that may lead to food poisoning.

Read more: Always Thaw Your Frozen Meat a Few Days in Advance. Here’s How

The germiest spots in your kitchen — and how to clean them

Even when you’re not cooking, you’ll also want to keep an eye out for sneaky spots in your kitchen that might be harboring pathogens. 

• The kitchen sponge: This is one of the germiest spots in the entire home, according to Yakas. You should replace your sponge frequently, and definitely if it has a bad odor. It’s also possible to clean your sponges in the dishwasher or microwave. But “when in doubt, toss it out,” Yakas says. 

• The coffee reservoir: Coffee machines with a reserve of water are dark, warm and moist environments that germs love. Yakas says you should clean it regularly following the manufacturer’s instructions. If you’re not sure what those are, she recommends running diluted white vinegar through the machine, followed by 2-3 cycles of fresh water, about once a month.

• The can opener: The blade of this kitchen tool often comes in contact with food itself. Make sure to wash or rinse your can opener after you use it to prevent built-up food residue. 

• The blender: When you’re cleaning your blender after making a smoothie, don’t forget to take it apart and clean the gasket. Yakas says this often-overlooked piece of the machine can harbor germs if you don’t wash it.

How to be safe eating out at restaurants

When you dine out, you have a lot less control over all of these variables. That said, here are some ways you can make sure your food is safe even at a restaurant.

• Look at the environment. If the restaurant seems clean and tidy, this is a good sign that they are following food safety practices. Most cities also have health grades for restaurants, which are sometimes displayed in the establishment.

• Ask for your meat to be well done. If something you ordered looks undercooked, don’t be afraid to send it back. 

• Wash your hands before eating. Head to the bathroom and give your hands a good scrub before you get your meal. Also try to avoid touching the door handle of the bathroom on your way back to the table.