Food safety is a shared responsibility. From farm to fork to physician plays an important role in preventing foodborne illness.
Government can:
Ensure that food production and service facilities adopt proven preventive measures and enforce food safety laws and regulations, including requirements for eggs, meat, poultry, and processed and imported foods;
Increase and improve inspections in the US and abroad;
Develop and implement safety standards for food;
Develop new, and improve existing, prevention strategies based on what is learned from outbreaks, inspections, and monitoring systems;
Track trends, report progress, and make sure policies aimed at reducing infections work;
Fund state and community efforts to identify and report sicknesses and catch outbreaks faster;
Investigate outbreaks thoroughly to identify sources and improve control strategies;
Develop new tools to find sources of contamination and characterize germs faster.
Farmers, grocery stores, and places that make, sell, or serve food can:
Use good management practices to reduce contamination when raising livestock or food animals;
Adopt proven preventive measures for food safety plans in all food production and service facilities;
Keep good records of food and food ingredients origins;
Train and certify managers in food safety in all restaurants.
Health care providers can:
Diagnose and treat infections by using best practices and report them rapidly;
Talk to high-risk patients about food safety;
Report suspected outbreaks to your local health department.
Everyone can:
Use safe food and water. Be aware of food recalls and know the risks;
Wash hands, cutting boards, utensils, and countertops;
Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood separate from ready-to-eat foods;
Use a digital food thermometer to ensure that foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature: 145°F for whole meats (allowing the meat to rest for 3 minutes before carving or consuming), 160°F for ground meats, and 165°F for all poultry;
Keep your refrigerator below 40°F and refrigerate food that will spoil;
Report suspected illness from food to your local health department;
Don't prepare food for others if you have diarrhea or vomiting;
Be especially careful preparing food for children, pregnant women, those in poor health, and older adults.