Eating Out Safely

Staying healthy and avoiding foodborne illness involves more than just tossing out all of your peanut butter products. It also involves methods of food preparation and storage. With the free Eating Out Safely package of publications from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Citizen Information Center, you’ll learn how to keep your family’s food safe, whether you’re picking up sandwiches from the corner deli, sitting down for a fancy meal or reheating leftovers in the microwave.

Ready-to-eat foods are often a quick and easy way to get a meal on the table at the end of a busy day, but if not properly cooked or refrigerated, they may be prone to carrying bacteria, like Listeria. Find out which commonly eaten foods easily grow Listeria, learn the symptoms of a Listeria infection and who’s most at risk and get tips for making sure your food is bacteria-free.

Eating Out Safely also offers a guide that answers questions about how long doggie bags can be kept and how to safely reheat meals. It suggests storing cold foods at 40 degrees F or lower and warming hot foods to 145 degrees F before eating them. The package also offers tips for ordering food in restaurants, such as avoiding uncooked selections and making sure meats are cooked thoroughly.

Help keep foodborne illnesses off your table by learning more with the free Eating Out Safely package.

There are three easy ways to order:

Send your name and address to Eating Out Safely, Pueblo, Colorado 81009.

Visit www.pueblo.gsa.gov/rc/n87eatingoutsafely.htm to place your order online or to read or print these and hundreds of other federal publications for free.

Or call toll-free 1 (888) 8 PUEBLO. That's 1 (888) 878-3256, weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, and ask for the Eating Out Safely package.