Valentine’s Day is Tuesday. And the CDC wants you to know that while you enjoy your romantic dinner, whether you eat at home or go out to a nice restaurant, keep an eye open for food safety.
The National Restaurant Association says that, in 2011, 49 cents of every dollar spend on food was spent at a restaurant. And the CDC reminds us that 59% of foodborne illness outbreaks that occurred in the United States between 1998 and 2008 were caused by restaurant meals.
Even the nicest restaurant can be the setting for food poisoning. As Food Poisoning Bulletin has reported before, bacteria don’t care if you spend a lot of money or eat at fast food restaurants. There are some things to think about before you eat out at the restaurant of your choice.
- Take some time to research the restaurant before you make a reservation. Call the Health Department in your state or do a search online for inspection reports. The health departments in some cities, such as New York City, assign letter grades to each establishment. While a good rating won’t guarantee a safe meal, your odds of avoiding illness may be better at a highly-rated restaurant.
- When you get to the restaurant, make sure the table is clean. Jokes about overly-picky customers aside, it is true that a dirty tablecloth, spots on utensils, and food on the floor is a warning sign.
- Although many people like rare meat, think twice before ordering a blood-rare steak or runny eggs. And ask if the steak you’re ordering is a real steak or one put together with “meat glue” or if it’s blade-tenderized.
- Ask about foods like Caesar salad dressing, steak tartare or sushi, which are made from raw perishable foods. Ask about the source; did the restaurant purchased search out a reliable distributor? Also ask if the restaurant keeps up-to-date on food recalls.
- When the food gets to your table, make sure it’s hot. Warm food is a health hazard; bacteria can grow quickly in temperatures between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F. And you don’t know how long the food was sitting under a warming lamp before it reached your table. Send it back to the kitchen.
- After you’ve enjoyed your meal, if you want to take leftovers home, get that doggie bag into the fridge as soon as possible. No perishable food should sit out at room temperature more than 2 hours (1 hour if the ambient temperature is above 90 degrees F).
If you’re eating at home, be sure to follow food safety rules. Keep hot food hot and cold food cold. And when you’re storing leftovers, divide them into smaller portions and put in the fridge so they cool down quickly through that danger zone of 40 and 140 degrees F.
With these tips, you should enjoy a safe and happy Valentine’s Day. Don’t forget the chocolate!
