If you’ve ever had the misfortune of contracting a food borne illness, you already know just how miserable it can be. Nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, stomach cramps… the list goes on. Worse yet, beyond just physical discomfort, food poisoning can cause serious harm to your body and in some cases, can even be life-threatening. However, preventing food poisoning is easier than you might think. In fact, according to Harvard Medical School, up to 85% of foodborne illness can be prevented simply by properly handling and storing the food you consume! Whether you are going out to eat at a commercial location or buying and preparing your own food at home, there are a variety of ways we reduce our risk of food poisoning.

  • Sucharas Wongpeth/ ThinkStock
    Sucharas Wongpeth/ ThinkStock
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    Wash Hands Often

    We know we need to wash our hands before we start handling food, but we should wash our hands after  handling any raw food such as eggs or meat. 

  • AndreyPopov/ThinkStock
    AndreyPopov/ThinkStock
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    Clean The Kitchen

    Wash down surfaces with hot water to prevent bacteria and hair and skin from getting into the mouth of the customer.

  • Marina Appel
    Marina Appel
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    Separate Raw Meat

    When preparing food it’s best to keep the meat away from everything else, so we don’t cross-contaminate other foods with raw meat.

    Just because it looks done, the food probably isn’t. Make sure the food is cooked all the way as any remaining bacteria could still be contained in the food if it is undercooked. If the food is burnt, it is probably for the best to throw it away and try to cook it again.

  • Getty Images/iStockphoto
    Getty Images/iStockphoto
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    Check Expiration Dates

    Having food that’s cooked when it is passed the sell by date or expiration date will be a problem as bacteria can develop within the food.

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