Tips for Eating Out

In Washington, food workers are trained to prevent bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods. Food workers must use gloves, tongs, or other barriers to keep from touching foods that are ready to be eaten (such as toast, sandwiches, and salad).

Foods such as meats, sliced melons, cooked vegetables, cooked starches, cut leafy greens, and cut tomatoes must be kept hot (135°F or above) or cold (41°F or less). If food is not as hot or cold as it should be, send it back.

All food workers are required to have food safety training. Spokane Regional Health District offers food safety training courses online and in our office. After completing the training, food workers must pass a test in our office to receive their food workers permit. For more information and a link to the online training, go to the Food Worker Permit information page.

Food establishments are required to post a consumer advisory if they serve raw or undercooked foods of animal origin, or unpasteurized fruit and vegetable juices.

Someone in the establishment should be able to describe how food is prepared.

For example: order your hamburger well done (cooked to a temperature of 155°F) and send it back if it is undercooked. Also avoid certain foods – such as sprouts, undercooked meats, and raw oysters – if you are at high risk for food-borne illness. People at high risk for foodborne illness include young children, senior citizens, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems.

Tell the food establishment’s manager when you notice food safety concerns, or give a compliment to the manager when you notice safe food handling.

Food workers should wash their hands twice after using the restroom - once in the restroom and then immediately upon returning to the kitchen.