One out of six people will get a foodborne illness this year. And while you have control over what happens in your kitchen, what about when you eat out? NBC 5 checked with the experts.
David Jefferson, the environmental health manager at the Tarrant County Public Health Department, is part of the team which makes sure restaurants in Tarrant County are clean.
He has personally inspected hundreds of restaurants and said the biggest two things you should worry about are good hygiene and food temperature. Hand washing is the obvious one, but food temperature may not jump out at you as something to check.
"Look at the temperature of the food when you get it," said Jefferson. "If it's supposed to be hot and it's not hot, look out because they're not worried about food temperatures."
Food temperatures are important, because it doesn't take long for bacteria to grow once food is out of proper temperature. Also, many bacteria live on the surface or inside food, and if the dish hasn't been heated or cooled properly, that could set you up for a world of hurt.
Jefferson added you should keep an eye out on restaurant employees. They should look sharp and be free of illnesses that could transmit to you or your food.
He said if "they're sniffing, wiping their nose, running to the bathroom while you're there, these are all signs that should really make you worry."
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
At Bob's Steak and Chop House in Grapevine, their past four inspections have been zeros, which means there were no ongoing violations at the time of the inspections. It's no surprise to assistant general manager Marc Johnson, who said he follows each inspector around with a clipboard to make sure he sees potential issues right as the inspector is seeing them.
For Johnson, one of the most important parts of his job is cleanliness. He checks and rechecks to make sure everyone is doing things according to the company's policies. Before the dinner rush, you'll spot him in the kitchen.
"Some of the things you look for in the kitchen, you look at the floor, make sure no debris on the floor," Johnson said.
When NBC 5 was there, the kitchen was spotless. So were the dining room and bathrooms.
Johnson said general cleanliness at a restaurant can give you a good indication if something is amiss.
"You can look at the floor. You can look at the other tables," said Johnson. "If dinner's over, and it hasn't been cleaned in how long of a time, you can tell it is a lack of attention to that tabletop that could go through the kitchen as well."
Jefferson, the health inspector, agrees. And the old adage that a dirty bathroom in a restaurant means a dirty kitchen, there's some truth to it. Both Jefferson and Johnson agree that it's an attention to detail.
If an establishment isn't cleaning a place customers do see, like the restrooms, what can you expect in the kitchen? They also say you should try looking outside the restaurant, to make sure the garbage bin is closed and not overflowing with trash.
At Bob's, all employees come in every Saturday for an hour before their shift to work on a special cleaning project. The restaurant also keep checklists for when food comes in to make sure it hasn't spoiled. Johnson said he's proud of his team and is ready for the next inspection.
"I can't say enough about the staff and how good of a job they do," he said.
