How can I avoid getting sick when eating out at restaurants?

November 1st, 2014

Eating out at restaurants is a pleasurable experience for most people.  You don’t have to worry about cooking, cleaning up afterward, and you have people waiting on you while you enjoy the company of family or friends.  However, you should be aware that your next meal out could get you sick with diarrhea or other food borne illnesses.  Here are some tips to protect yourself and your loved ones.

• Scope out the restaurant.  When you walk into a restaurant, it should look and smell clean.  In some cities such as New York, eating establishments are required to post a grade on the outside window.  “A” means it has the least safety violations, “B” means pending which means there are a few violations, and “C” has the most.  If you are still unsure, check out the bathroom. If there is no soap or towels, you can be certain the food preparers and servers are not properly cleaning their hands.
• Beware of the menu.  Menus are rarely cleaned and the pages can contain many germs.  It is important to wash your hands or at least use hand sanitizer after ordering your meal.
• Beware of “Dinner Specials”!  Oftentimes, when a chef is faced with expensive produce that will spoil soon, he/she will often create a special dish to try and unload this produce, often with a strongly flavored sauce to cover up any taste issues.  If the waiter tells you about the wonderful “lobster in blue cheese sauce” special, avoid it and you will save yourself a night on the toilet.
• Smell your food.  If the food does not smell right, do not hesitate to send it back and order something else.  Food poisoning is often mildly disruptive but can be deadly.  If you already took a bite of food, immediately purchase some Pepto Bismol and take 2 tablets.  Pepto Bismol has a mild antibiotic effect and can sometimes neutralize bacteria before it reaches your intestines.  I often recommend people to take them to prevent traveller’s diarrhea.
• If you frequently eat raw shellfish, ask your healthcare provider for a vaccine against Hepatitis A.  This is a serious diarrheal and liver disease that results from shellfish harvested from contaminated water.  Fortunately, the vaccine is highly effective.  I also recommend the vaccine for people who plan to travel internationally.
• If you have food allergies, be sure to always carry an epinephrine pen (Epi-pen).  Also, make sure you inform your server of any food allergies so they can take extra precautions when preparing your food.  If you have doubts about the contents of your food, do not eat it.  People with severe food allergies should avoid buffet-style eating establishments at all costs.  The utensils are often reused and mistakenly replaced in different dishes leading to contamination.
• Skip the raw meat (beef, pork, chicken) and raw egg dishes.  Items such as steak tartare (raw beef chopped with seasoning) can contain parasites such as tapeworms.  On the other hand, most sushi-grade fish/seafood in the US is required to be flash frozen which kills most parasites.
• If you develop fever with diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, or have bloody diarrhea, make sure you see a healthcare provider immediately.  These are signs that you may have a serious infection.