Monday, May 23, 2011

how to avoid food poisoning when going out

To make sure that you don't get food poisoning/gastro or any other illness after you have gone out check out my tips. You don't want to end up in hospital nor do you want to miss your exams. Most restaurants do the right thing, but there are quite a few that break the food handling rules. You can have a look at my worst restaurants page to give you an idea.
You should always plan your restaurant or cafe before going out. have a look on Urbanspoon.com for some of the latest restaurants in Melbourne. Type in your street or you can search by suburb. See what people say about them. If the majority say that they don't like the place, don't even bother. If you are on Facebook, consider joining Top Melbourne Restaurants, a group that is known to discuss good restaurants/cafes and bad ones. See what they recommend is good. Have a look at people's blogs as lots write about Melbourne and Melbourne food places.
Some tips to consider when going out:
1) If the restaurant/cafe looks dirty, don't even bother going in. Chances are they'll poison you with their food.
2) Do people wash their hands after touching money/bins/eating/drinking/going to the bathroom? If not chances are you'll get food poisoning. Best to stay away. They're supposed to wash hands after they have done these things
3) Do the prices look to good to be true (for example: $1 for a plate of 20 dumplings)? If yes, then chances are that they are made really badly or done unhygenically.
4) Is anyone who is sick working there? If so chances are you'll get their illness.
5) Has the food that is supposed to be cold been out for more than two hours? If so chances are you'll risk getting salmonella (a food borne illness)
6) Are people touching food with their bare hands? If so it is best to avoid the place. They should use tongs to avoid giving their germs to everyone.
7) If it is a buffet place (ie one that is self serve) are there adequate serving equipment? If not don't touch the food. Chances are someones already touched it with their hands  or their dirty spoon and put their germs in the food.
8) Is the toilet clean? If not chances are that the kitchen is not clean and your food might be infested with bacteria.
9) Can you see the kitchen from where you are sitting (only available at some cafes and restaurants)? If so, this is great! You can see how they are handling your food.
10) Has the food been thawed properly? If not there's a good chance you'll get food poisoning. Food is supposed to be thawed properly before serving it.
11) Is the food warm enough and cooked through? If not you might risk getting gastro or food poisoning. Food is supposed to be really warm at 65C-70C. If the food is cold, tell the wait staff. The meat should not have any red blood coming through it- if it does don't eat it and tell the wait staff.
12) Is the food handling certificate and license displayed at the front of the restaurant? If not then they could be operating illegally.  To operate a food business the place must have a licence and everyone needs to have a food handling certificate. Best to stay away.
13) Are there rats/insects/cockroaches and other pests everywhere? If so, it is best to go elsewhere, as rats and their droppings, insects and other pests make you really sick.
14) Check for hairs, dirt and dead skins in the food before eating it. If so don't eat it.

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