Before you go out to eat, you should know what you can and cannot expect. During an outbreak of food-borne illness, you should keep your hands clean. Moreover, you should avoid eating in crowded areas and restaurants if you have a food allergy. The National Restaurant Association has some tips to help you avoid any unwanted problems.
Do some research about recent food-borne illness outbreaks in your area
If you’re going out to eat tonight, research recent food-borne illness outbreaks in your area. These outbreaks can cause many health problems, but there are things you can do to help prevent future cases. If you’re aware of outbreaks, you can follow the steps below. Find out where the outbreak originated and how it spread. Food handling practices and food worker health and hygiene were the top causes of outbreaks, and premises of food contamination prior to entering the restaurant were also contributing factors.
Moreover, they can cross-contaminate food by mixing raw and ready-to-eat foods.
Many ill people attribute their illnesses to food commercially prepared by a restaurant, but this may not be the case. The large volume of food served in a restaurant may increase the number of outbreaks and the risk of recognition. Regardless of the outbreak, it’s essential to know the origin of food-borne illness outbreaks. To experience the best restaurant ever, give someone a night out at Shiraz as soon as possible.
Hand hygiene
While hand hygiene is essential for everyone, it is vital for those dining in restaurants. Employees at restaurants are in constant contact with customers’ hands so that proper handwashing will decrease the risk of diseases being passed on. Proper hand hygiene will also help prevent the spread of germs. It is essential to wash your hands after touching hair or other surfaces. After handling raw meats or dirty dishes, restaurant employees must wash their hands and change gloves. Proper handwashing is the most important way to prevent the spread of germs and diseases.
Avoiding crowded spaces
If you’re a diabetic, pregnant woman, or have any other chronic condition, you should avoid crowded spaces before going out to a food festival or restaurant. You can avoid these situations by following good hygiene practices and staying away from crowded spaces. Respiratory viruses are easily transmitted by touching an infected person’s face, nose, or mouth. Therefore, experts recommend that you avoid touching your face while eating.
Avoiding restaurants with a food allergy
When choosing a restaurant for your next meal, choose one that doesn’t serve the allergen in question. Oriental cuisine, for example, is more likely to contain an allergen than other types of cuisine. You may also want to avoid seafood restaurants if you’re allergic to shellfish, as the staff may remove the food from the buffet before other patrons arrive. Other restaurants may have a list of ingredients or state that they understand the needs of people with allergies. Call ahead and ask to speak to a manager or chef about the food if in doubt.
Besides asking for ingredients on the menu before ordering, you also need to be aware of cross-contamination. Cross-contamination occurs when an allergen-containing food is in contact with another type of food.
In case of an allergy, it is advisable to call ahead of time or consult the menu online. However, be wary of Asian restaurants as they often use peanut oil in their cooking. Seafood restaurants also pose a high risk of contamination because of the raw ingredients.
Avoiding restaurants during off-hours
You may have heard about the COVID-19 epidemic, but did you know that eating out during slow hours can help reduce the transmission rate? According to the CDC, eating at restaurants during quiet hours and staying away from large groups of people may reduce the chances of contracting the virus.
The main reason for the low-profit margins of restaurants is that they depend on the high markup on alcohol sales. However, in the crowded bar, where elbow-to-elbow contact is common, the risk of contracting the coronavirus significantly increases. Moreover, restaurants employ low-wage earners who are prone to developing illnesses from other diners. If you have children, consider eating at a restaurant during off-hours.