Well, not really food. Mostly restaurants.

DH is a manager at a restaurant, and he's got his ServSafe re-certification tomorrow, so tonight I was quizzing him on what will be on the 3 hour test.

All I can say is I'm glad we don't eat out much and don't eat meat, I am so disgusted right now.

The length of time you can "safely" keep stuff is gross. And the rules on reheating vast quantities of food to "safe" levels is revolting.

It's really sad to me that the person cooking my food in a restaurant can be sick enough to vomit, but if it's not accompanied by a fever, they are still allowed to work. Ewwwwwwwww.

AND ServSafe isn't required for restaurants. Each establishment is left to their own devices.

Someone remind me to never eat out again.

I hear you! My son has worked in restaurants for 12 years, since he was a teenager. The stories I've heard I rarely eat out, and always check restaurant health scores online before I go anywhere.

That's what our immune system is for....I've never gotten sick at a resturant....why be so paranoid?

I used to work at a taco place in high school. It was terrifying. The immune system can only do so much. I have gotten food poisoning at a few restaurants,once I was hospitalized for 2 days, I am scared to eat at most restaurants.

One of my co-workers got very sick/hospitalized recently after eating out with friends (she was the only one who had a soup instead of salad so she suspects, but can't confirm, that it was what she ate there.) Anyway, she said that the doctor told her that about the only safe restaurant to eat at these days is McDonald's--the reason(s) being, apparently, that 1) restaurants are trying to preserve the food longer and 2) McDonald's overheats everything and probably kills any bacteria anyway. Anyway, my co-worker, in addition to going on antibiotics, was told to consume only white breads and Gatorade for some time because other foods would just cause the bacteria to circulate more.

I'm with you on this one. Yes, there's a chance you'll get sick if you eat out. There's also a chance that you'll get hit by a bus on the way to pick up your mail. I've gotten sick eating out, but it doesn't stop me from enjoying lunch with friends at a nice place. (Though I haven't been to that same restaurant since!)

I don't think I'd call it paranoia. Yes, you can get hit by a bus on the way to pick up your mail, but if you're walking on the sidewalk to try and avoid it (instead of in the middle of the street), does that make you paranoid?

I'd rather my immune system fight the things I can't avoid, and choose to avoid restaurants that don't practice ServSafe, or have had outbreak issues in the past. How is that paranoid?

I got food poisoning years ago from sushi-grade ahi tuna. Come to find out, tuna is a meat that does NOT have to be inspected by the USDA, even sushi cuts.

The restaurant that DH works for is religious about their food safety policies, and through the networking that comes with running a restaurant, we've learned what the most "safe" options are around us, so if we do go out we have an idea of where to go.

Nothing says "gross" like failing health inspections, which aren't always public knowledge.

Your immune system is only good for so much. The rest is probably the "ick" factor which should be enough to steer most people away.

I've heard many stories from restaurant employees - usually teenagers. You wouldn't believe which major childrens party place allowed maggot infested cheese to be used on pizza. A seafood chain where the employees only ate the pie because it came prepackaged. A restaurant where food was removed from plates and reused the next day in casseroles and stuffing.

Blech.

Unless you are in the kitchen yourself, you really are relying on FAITH that things are done properly. Just watch Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. That'll put you off eating out, for sure!!!
And unfortunately if your immune system is compromised or you have little kids or granny with you, you may be more affected than you think.
I've eaten at a certain big fast food chain exactly TWICE, because I got deathly ill both times. I thought the first time was just being unlucky, so I gave it a second chance. I was in my 20s at the time...never, ever again.

Kira

I used to live in Alabama and every restaurant had to post their inspection cert by the main register/front door with a big score written from top to bottom in black sharpie. So you knew exactly what the restaurant was doing when you walked in. I like that but haven't seen a state that has done that in the many I've visited in the U.S. How would you find out otherwise. Our county doesn't even publish it on their website, you can only find occasional reports from inspections that were problems.

I've gotten tummy trouble many many times from eating out but nothing that hasn't resolved after one nite of misery. One time I got what I think was food poisoning from a CHurch's (lying on the floor vomiting for 24 hrs and wishing I was dead, literally, in order to feel better) - and that was the last time I ate any mass market fried chicken. When I go to rarely go to kfc now, i'll get tenders (which are processed offsite and just heated onsite) or the bbq sandwich.

I'm with Suzanne. It's definitely more the "ick" factor, then the "get sick" factor. Quite honestly, when I am cooking and that's a lot, I use my hands all the time. They are the best tools. I am always touching, touching, touching the food I'm preparing, preparing, preparing. Oh and the mess. There's always so much to clean up. Restaurants - they've got a LOT to keep up with. The thought of other people handling my food - yuck. And that's just the bare bones beginning. I can't and don't want to imagine what goes on inside some (most) of restaurant kitchens.

I barely, barely go out to eat these days, since I started eating healthy and the longer I go without doing it, the more turned off I get.

I'm picky about where I eat.

I eat at Chipotle which is where you can see your food.

I also eat at a local vegan restaurant.

I'll eat some other places too but those are basically my main food stops.

So....are or are you not saying the 5 second rule counts?

Oh, the 5 second rule. I recently heard, can't remember where, oh yeah, a show on the Food Network - Food Detectives - that the 5 second rule - well let's just say we shouldn't go by it. So much dirt and bacteria is found on the floor - we WALK on the floor - with our shoes - from the outside....

idk, restaurants get a bad rap sometimes, but i worked for fast food places in HS and college, probably 6 year worth of restaurant work total and i didn't think it was that bad. i would eat there every day just about and still eat at taco bell when the mood hits me.
i'm not psychotic about germs though. i trust most people to have good hygene, but i guess if you don't like other people touching your food , eating out's definitely not for you.