Each year, around 48 million people in the United States get sick from contaminated food. Common causes include bacteria and viruses. Less often, the cause may be a parasite or a harmful chemical, such as a high amount of pesticides. Symptoms of foodborne illness depend on the cause. They can be mild or serious. They usually include

• Upset stomach
• Abdominal cramps
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Dehydration

Most foodborne illnesses are acute. This means that they happen suddenly and last a short time.

It takes several steps to get food from the farm or fishery to your dining table. Contamination can happen during any of these steps. For example, it can happen to

• Raw meat during slaughter
• Fruits and vegetables when they are growing or when they are processed
• Refrigerated foods when they are left on a loading dock in warm weather

But it can also happen in your kitchen if you leave food out for more than 2 hours at room temperature. Handling food safely can help prevent foodborne illnesses.

Most people with foodborne illness get better on their own. It is important to replace lost fluids and electrolytes to prevent dehydration. If your health care provider can diagnose the specific cause, you may get medicines such as antibiotics to treat it. For more serious illness, you may need treatment at a hospital.

Anyone can get food poisoning, but certain groups of people are more likely to get sick and to have a more serious illness. Their bodies’ ability to fight germs and sickness is not as effective for a variety of reasons. These groups of people are:

If you or someone you care for is in one of these groups, it’s especially important to take steps to prevent food poisoning and to know which foods are more associated with illness than others.

Causes of Food Poisoning

Many different disease-causing germs can contaminate foods, so there are many different foodborne infections (also called foodborne disease or food poisoning).

• Researchers have identified more than 250 foodborne diseases.
• Most of them are infections, caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
• Harmful toxins and chemicals also can contaminate foods and cause foodborne illness.

CDC estimates that each year 48 million people get sick from a foodborne illness, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die.

Do I Have Food Poisoning?

Common symptoms of foodborne diseases are nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. However, symptoms may differ among the different types of foodborne diseases. Symptoms can sometimes be severe, and some foodborne illnesses can even be life-threatening. Although anyone can get a foodborne illness, some people are more likely to develop one. Those groups include:

• Older adults
• Young children
• People with immune systems weakened from medical conditions, such as diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, organ transplants, or HIV/AIDS, or from receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment.
• Pregnant women

Most people with a foodborne illness get better without medical treatment, but people with severe symptoms should see their doctor.

Some Common Foodborne Germs

The top five germs that cause illnesses from food eaten in the United States are:

• Norovirus
• Salmonella
• Clostridium perfringens
• Campylobacter
• Staphylococcus aureus (Staph)

Some other germs don’t cause as many illnesses, but when they do, the illnesses are more likely to lead to hospitalization. Those germs include:

• Clostridium botulinum (botulism)
• Listeria
• Escherichia coli (E. coli)
• Vibrio

Some foods are more associated with foodborne illnesses and food poisoning than others. They can carry harmful germs that can make you very sick if the food is contaminated.

• Raw foods of animal origin are the most likely to be contaminated, specifically raw or undercooked meat and poultry, raw or lightly cooked eggs, unpasteurized (raw) milk, and raw shellfish.
• Fruits and vegetables also may get contaminated.
• While certain foods are more likely to make you sick, any food can get contaminated in the field, during processing, or during other stages in the food production chain, including through cross-contamination with raw meat in kitchens.

Viruses

Viruses invade normal cells in your body. Many viruses cause infections that can be spread from person to person.

If water comes into contact with stools of infected people, the water may become contaminated with a virus. The contaminated water can spread the virus to foods. For example, if contaminated water is used to water or wash produce, the virus can spread to the produce. Similarly, shellfish that were living in contaminated water could contain a virus.

If people who are infected with a virus prepare or handle foods, they may spread the virus to the foods.

Common viruses that cause food poisoning include norovirus and hepatitis A.

Bacteria

Bacteria are tiny organisms that can cause infection or disease. Bacteria can enter your body through contaminated food or water.

Bacteria grow quickly when the temperature of food is between 40 and 140 degrees. Keeping food colder than 40 degrees in a refrigerator or freezer can slow or stop the growth of bacteria. Cooking food thoroughly often kills bacteria.

Many types of bacteria can cause food poisoning, including

• certain types of Salmonella
• certain types of Clostridium, including the common C. perfringens and the less common C. botulinum, which causes an illness called botulism
• certain types of Campylobacter, including C. jejuni
• Staphylococcus aureus, also called staph
• Escherichia coli, also called E. coli
• certain types of Vibrio
• Listeria monocytogenes, also called Listeria

Parasites

Parasites are tiny organisms that live inside other organisms. Parasites can enter your body through food or water and settle in your digestive tract. In developed countries such as the United States, parasitic infections are rare.

Parasites that cause food poisoning include

• Toxoplasma gondii, which causes an illness called toxoplasmosis
• Giardia
• Cryptosporidium, which causes an illness called cryptosporidiosis or crypto

Travelers’ diarrhea

People who travel from the United States to developing countries may develop travelers’ diarrhea. Eating food or drinking water contaminated with bacteria, parasites, or viruses causes travelers’ diarrhea. Although travelers’ diarrhea is most often acute, some parasites cause diarrhea that lasts longer.

Bacteria and Viruses

Bacteria and viruses are the most common cause of food poisoning. The symptoms and severity of food poisoning vary, depending on which bacteria or virus has contaminated the food.

To prevent illness, always follow the food safety steps: clean, separate, cook, and chill. Other prevention tips for specific bacteria and viruses are included below.

The bacteria and viruses that cause the most illnesses, hospitalizations, or deaths in the United States are described below and include:

• Campylobacter
• Clostridium perfringens
• E. coli
• Listeria
• Norovirus
• Salmonella

Other important bacteria and viruses that cause foodborne illness include:

• Bacillus cereus
• Botulism
• Hepatitis A
• Shigella
• Staphylococcus aureus (Staphylococcal [Staph] Food Poisoning)
• Vibrio Species Causing Vibriosis

Bacillus cereus

Botulism

Campylobacter

Clostridium perfringens

E. coli

Hepatitis A

Listeria

Norovirus

Salmonella

Shigella

Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcal (Staph) Food Poisoning

Vibrio Species Causing Vibriosis

Food poisoning symptoms can be anywhere from mild to very serious. Your symptoms may be different depending on the germ you swallowed. The most common symptoms of food poisoning are:

• Upset stomach
• Stomach cramps
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Fever

After you swallow an unsafe (contaminated) food or drink, it may take hours or days to develop symptoms. If you have symptoms of food poisoning, such as diarrhea or vomiting, drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration (not having enough water in your body).

When to See a Doctor for Food Poisoning

See your doctor or healthcare provider if you have symptoms that are severe, including:

• Bloody diarrhea
• High fever (temperature over 102°F, measured in your mouth)
• Frequent vomiting that prevents keeping liquids down (which can lead to dehydration)
• Signs of dehydration, including little or no urination, a very dry mouth and throat, or feeling dizzy when standing up
• Diarrhea that lasts more than 3 days

Symptoms and Sources of Common Food Poisoning Germs

Some germs make you sick within a few hours after you swallow them. Others may take a few days to make you sick. This list provides the symptoms, when symptoms begin, and common food sources for germs that cause food poisoning. The germs are listed in order of how quickly symptoms begin.

Staphylococcus aureus (Staph)

• Symptoms begin 30 minutes to 8 hours after exposure: Nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps. Most people also have diarrhea.
• Common food sources: Foods that are not cooked after handling, such as sliced meats, puddings, pastries, and sandwiches

Vibrio

• Symptoms begin 2 to 48 hours after exposure: Watery diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, fever, chills
• Common food sources: Raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters

Clostridium perfringens

• Symptoms begin 6 to 24 hours after exposure: Diarrhea, stomach cramps. Usually begins suddenly and lasts for less than 24 hours. Vomiting and fever are not common.
• Common food sources: Beef or poultry, especially large roasts; gravies; dried or precooked foods

Salmonella

• Symptoms begin 6 hours to 6 days after exposure: Diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, vomiting
• Common food sources: Raw or undercooked chicken, turkey, and meat; eggs; unpasteurized (raw) milk and juice; raw fruits and vegetables
  Other sources: Many animals, including backyard poultry, reptiles and amphibians, and rodents (pocket pets)

Norovirus

• Symptoms begin 12 to 48 hours after exposure: Diarrhea, nausea/stomach pain, vomiting
• Common food sources: Leafy greens, fresh fruits, shellfish (such as oysters), or unsafe water
  Other sources: Infected person; touching surfaces that have the virus on them

Clostridium botulinum (Botulism)

• Symptoms begin 18 to 36 hours after exposure: Double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech. Difficulty swallowing and breathing, dry mouth. Muscle weakness and paralysis. Symptoms start in the head and move down as the illness gets worse.
• Common food sources: Improperly canned or fermented foods, usually homemade. Prison-made illicit alcohol (pruno).

Campylobacter

• Symptoms begin 2 to 5 days after exposure: Diarrhea (often bloody), stomach cramps/pain, fever
• Common food sources: Raw or undercooked poultry, raw (unpasteurized) milk, and contaminated water

E. coli (Escherichia coli)

• Symptoms begin 3 to 4 days after exposure: Severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting. Around 5­­–10% of people diagnosed with E. coli develop a life-threatening health problem.
• Common food sources: Raw or undercooked ground beef, raw (unpasteurized) milk and juice, raw vegetables (such as lettuce), raw sprouts, unsafe water

Cyclospora

• Symptoms begin 1 week after exposure: Watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Stomach cramps/pain, bloating, increased gas, nausea, and fatigue.
• Common food sources: Raw fruits or vegetables and herbs

Listeria

• Symptoms begin 1 to 4 weeks after exposure: Pregnant women usually have a fever and other flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue and muscle aches. Infections during pregnancy can lead to serious illness or even death in newborns.
  Other people (most often older adults): headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions in addition to fever and muscle aches.
• Common food sources: Queso fresco and other soft cheeses, raw sprouts, melons, hot dogs, pâtés, deli meats, smoked seafood, and raw (unpasteurized) milk

Most people have only mild illnesses, lasting a few hours to several days. However, some people need to be hospitalized, and some illnesses cause long-term health problems or even death. Infections spread by food can lead to:

• Chronic arthritis
• Brain and nerve damage
• Kidney failure caused by hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)

Doctors often diagnose food poisoning based on your symptoms. If your symptoms are mild and last only a short time, you typically won’t need tests.

In some cases, a medical history, a physical exam, stool tests, and blood tests can help diagnose food poisoning. Your doctor may perform additional tests to check for complications or to rule out other health problems. Your doctor may need to contact the health department to report your illness.

Medical history

Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms, for example

• what symptoms you have
• how long you have had symptoms
• how often you have had symptoms

Your doctor will also ask about

• what you recently ate and drank
• whether you know other people who have recently had similar symptoms
• recent travel to developing countries
• current and past medical conditions
• prescription and over-the-counter medicines you take

Physical exam

During a physical exam, your doctor may

• check your blood pressure and pulse for signs of dehydration
• examine your body for signs of fever or dehydration
• use a stethoscope to listen to sounds in your abdomen
• tap on your abdomen to check for tenderness or pain

Sometimes, doctors perform a digital rectal exam to check for blood in your stool. Blood in your stool may be a sign of an infection with bacteria or parasites.

Stool tests

A health care professional will give you a container for catching and storing the stool. You will receive instructions on where to send or take the container for analysis. Stool tests can show the presence of viruses, bacteria, or parasites.

Blood tests

A health care professional may take a blood sample from you and send the sample to a lab. Blood tests can show signs of certain infections or signs of complications such as dehydration.

How can I treat food poisoning?

In most cases, people with food poisoning get better on their own without medical treatment. You can treat food poisoning by replacing lost fluids and electrolytes to prevent dehydration. In some cases, over-the-counter medicines may help relieve your symptoms.

When you have food poisoning, you may vomit after you eat or lose your appetite for a short time. When your appetite returns, you can most often go back to eating your normal diet, even if you still have diarrhea.

If your child has symptoms of food poisoning, such as vomiting or diarrhea, don’t hesitate to call a doctor for advice.

Replace lost fluids and electrolytes

When you have food poisoning, you need to replace lost fluids and electrolytes to prevent dehydration or treat mild dehydration. You should drink plenty of liquids. If vomiting is a problem, try sipping small amounts of clear liquids. Replacing lost fluids and electrolytes is the most important treatment for food poisoning.

Adults. Most adults with food poisoning can replace fluids and electrolytes with liquids such as

• water
• fruit juices with water added to dilute the juice
• sports drinks
• broths

Eating saltine crackers can also help replace electrolytes.

Older adults, adults with a weakened immune system, and adults with severe diarrhea or symptoms of dehydration should drink oral rehydration solutions, such as Pedialyte, Naturalyte, Infalyte, and CeraLyte. Oral rehydration solutions are liquids that contain glucose and electrolytes.

Children. If your child has food poisoning, you should give your child an oral rehydration solution—such as Pedialyte, Naturalyte, Infalyte, and CeraLyte—as directed. Talk with a doctor about giving these solutions to your infant. Infants should drink breast milk or formula as usual.

Over-the-counter medicines

In some cases, adults can take over-the-counter medicines such as loperamide (Imodium) and bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol, Kaopectate) to treat diarrhea caused by food poisoning.

These medicines can be dangerous for infants and children. Talk with a doctor before giving your child an over-the-counter medicine.

If you have bloody diarrhea or fever—signs of infections with bacteria or parasites—don’t use over-the-counter medicines to treat diarrhea. See a doctor for treatment.

How do doctors treat food poisoning?

To treat food poisoning caused by bacteria or parasites, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics or medicines that target parasites, in addition to rehydration solutions.

In some cases, doctors may recommend probiotics. Probiotics are live microbes, most often bacteria, that may be similar to microbes you normally have in your digestive tract. Studies suggest that some probiotics may help shorten a bout of diarrhea. Researchers are still studying the use of probiotics to treat food poisoning. For safety reasons, talk with your doctor before using probiotics or any other complementary or alternative medicines or practices. This is especially important when children, older adults, or those with weak immune systems have diarrhea.

Doctors may need to treat people with life-threatening symptoms and complications—such as severe dehydration, hemolytic uremic syndrome, or paralysis—in a hospital.

The American food supply is among the safest in the world, but people can still get food poisoning by eating contaminated foods. Some food poisoning is caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Symptoms of infection with antibiotic-resistant bacteria are like other food poisoning symptoms, which can be mild to life-threatening and include diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

Antibiotics are medicines that kill or stop the growth of bacteria. Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria develop the ability to survive or grow despite being exposed to antibiotics designed to kill them.

Antibiotics save lives, but any time antibiotics are used, they can contribute to the development and spread of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance spreads to bacteria through people, animals, and the environment. Improving antibiotic use, including reducing unnecessary use, can help stop resistance from spreading.

Learn what CDC is doing to help stop antibiotic-resistant infections from food and animals, and how you can protect yourself and your family.

Antibiotic Resistance and Food Poisoning

If bacteria that cause food poisoning are antibiotic resistant, some antibiotics might not effectively treat the illness, which can lead to more costly treatments and higher risks for side effects.

People with symptoms of mild food poisoning usually do not need antibiotics to get better. However, people with severe infection may need to see a doctor, take antibiotics, or be hospitalized.

Mild symptoms may include nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Severe symptoms include:

• Bloody diarrhea
• High fever (temperature over 102°F, measured by mouth)
• Frequent vomiting that prevents keeping liquids down (which can lead to dehydration)
• Signs of dehydration, including little or no urination, a very dry mouth and throat, or feeling dizzy when standing up
• Diarrhea that lasts more than 3 days

Who Is at Higher Risk for Food Poisoning

Those at higher risk include adults aged 65 and older, children younger than 5 years, people who have health problems or take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness, and pregnant women. These groups are at risk for severe symptoms or complications from food poisoning, including illnesses caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Food and Food Animals

Animals, like people, carry bacteria in their guts. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria present in the guts of animals can get in food in several ways:

• When animals are slaughtered and processed for food, resistant bacteria can contaminate meat or other animal products.
• Animal feces/excrement (poop) can contain resistant bacteria and get into the surrounding environment.
• Fruits and vegetables can get contaminated through contact with soil, water, or fertilizer that contains animal feces/excrement.

Transmission of Antibiotic-Resistant Intestinal Infections to People

People can get antibiotic-resistant intestinal infections by handling or eating contaminated food or coming in contact with animal waste (poop), either through direct contact with animals and animal environments or through contaminated drinking or swimming water. Infections can also spread between people.

In recent years, CDC has investigated many multistate outbreaks caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These outbreaks have been linked to contaminated food and contact with farm animals, pets, and pet food and treats.

Protect Yourself and Your Family

• When preparing food, follow the four steps to food safety:
  • Clean. Wash your hands before and after touching uncooked eggs or raw meat, poultry (like chicken and turkey), seafood, or their juices. Wash your work surfaces, cutting boards, utensils, and dishes before, during, and after cooking.
  • Separate. Germs from raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can spread to fruits, vegetables, and other ready-to-eat foods unless you keep them separate. Use one cutting board to prepare raw meats and another for foods that will not be cooked before they’re eaten. Don’t put cooked meat on a plate that had raw meat on it.
  • Cook. Use a food thermometer to ensure that foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature: 145°F for whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and veal (such as steaks, chops, and roasts); 160°F for ground red meats and egg dishes; and 165°F for poultry, including ground chicken and turkey. Get safe cooking temperaturesexternal icon for other foods.
  • Chill. Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below and refrigerate foods within 2 hours of cooking. Refrigerate within 1 hour if food is exposed to temperatures above 90°F (like a hot car or picnic).
• When around pets and other animals:
  • Wash your hands after touching them, their food, water, poop, belongings (such as toys and bowls), or habitats (such as beds, cages, tanks, coops, stalls, and barns).
  • Report suspected illness from food to your local health department.
  • Review CDC’s Travelers’ Health recommendations when preparing for international travel.

To help slow the spread of antibiotic resistance, take antibiotics only when needed, and take them exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider.

You can prevent some food poisoning by properly storing, cooking, cleaning, and handling foods. For example,

• keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from other foods
• prepare salads and refrigerate them before handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs
• promptly refrigerate or freeze foods that can spoil
• wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling food
• wash fruits and vegetables before eating, cutting, or cooking
• cook foods long enough and at high enough temperatures to kill harmful microbes
• wash utensils and surfaces after each use
• don’t eat foods that can spoil that have been sitting out for more than 2 hours, or in temperatures over 90 degrees, for more than 1 hour

Food safety is especially important for people who are more likely to get food poisoning and related complications, including

• infants and children
• pregnant women and their fetuses
• older adults
• people with weak immune systems

Food recalls

You can help prevent food poisoning by watching for food recalls. Companies recall foods—take foods off the market—if they find out that the foods could make people sick. If you learn that a food was recalled because it could cause food poisoning, check to see if you have the food. If you do, make sure no one eats it. You can return the food to the store or dispose of it.

Travelers’ diarrhea

To reduce your chances of getting travelers’ diarrhea External link when traveling to developing countries, avoid eating or drinking the following

• unbottled or untreated water. Also avoid brushing your teeth with unbottled or untreated water. Tap, well, lake, or river water may contain microbes.
• ice, foods, and drinks prepared with untreated tap or well water.
• unpasteurized juice, milk, and milk products like cheese or yogurt. Pasteurization kills harmful microbes.
• food or drinks from street vendors.
• warm food that was not served hot.
• raw or undercooked meat, fish, or shellfish.
• raw vegetables and fruits that you have not washed in clean water or peeled yourself.

If you are worried about travelers’ diarrhea, talk with your doctor before traveling. Your doctor may recommend ways that you can treat local water External link to kill or remove harmful microbes. Your doctor may also recommend that you bring antibiotics with you in case you get diarrhea during your trip. Early treatment with antibiotics can shorten a case of travelers’ diarrhea. Doctors may prescribe an antibiotic such as rifaximin (Xifaxan) or rifamycin (Aemcolo) to treat adults with travelers’ diarrhea caused by certain strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli) who do not have fever or blood in the stool. For severe travelers’ diarrhea, your doctor may prescribe azithromycin (Zithromax, Zmax) or ciprofloxacin (Cipro).

Doctors may advise some people—especially people with weakened immune systems—to take antibiotics before and during a trip to help prevent travelers’ diarrhea.

Spring has long been the time of year for annual cleaning projects around our homes. However, when it comes to safe food handling, everything that comes in contact with food must be kept clean all year long.

Food that is mishandled can lead to foodborne illness. While the United States has one of the safest food supplies in the world, preventing foodborne illness remains a major public health challenge. USDA developed the Be Food Safecampaign in cooperation with the Partnership for Food Safety Education, FDA, and CDC because research shows that Americans are aware of food safety, but they need more information to achieve and maintain safe food handling behaviors. Be Food Safe means preventing foodborne illness through four easy steps: Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill.

• Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often.
• Separate: Don't cross-contaminate.
• Cook: Cook to proper temperatures.
• Chill: Refrigerate promptly.

Cleanliness is a major factor in preventing foodborne illness. Even with food safety inspection and monitoring at Federal, State, and local government facilities, the consumer's role is to make sure food is handled safely after it is purchased. Everything that touches food should be clean. Listed below are steps we can take to help prevent foodborne illness by safely handling food in the home:

1. Wash hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds:
   • before and after handling food
   • after using the bathroom
   • after changing a diaper
   • after handling pets
   • after tending to a sick person
   • after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
   • after handling uncooked eggs or raw meat, poultry, or fish and their juices.
2. If your hands have any kind of skin abrasion or infection, always use clean disposable gloves. Wash hands (gloved or not) with warm, soapy water.
3. Thoroughly wash with hot, soapy water all surfaces that come in contact with raw meat, poultry, fish, and eggs before moving on to the next step in food preparation. Consider using paper towels to clean kitchen surfaces. If you use dishcloths, wash them often in the hot cycle of your washing machine. Keep other surfaces, such as faucets and counter tops, clean by washing with hot, soapy water.
4. To keep cutting boards clean, wash them in hot, soapy water after each use; then rinse and air or pat dry with clean paper towels. Cutting boards can be sanitized with a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Flood the surface with the bleach solution and allow it to stand for several minutes; then rinse and air or pat dry with clean paper towels.
   Non-porous acrylic, plastic, glass, and solid wood boards can be washed in a dishwasher (laminated boards may crack and split). Even plastic boards wear out over time. Once cutting boards become excessively worn or develop hard-to-clean grooves, replace them.
5. Don't use the same platter and utensils that held the raw product to serve the cooked product. Any bacteria present in the raw meat or juices can contaminate the safely cooked product. Serve cooked products on clean plates, using clean utensils and clean hands.
6. When using a food thermometer, it is important to wash the probe after each use with hot, soapy water before reinserting it into a food.
7. Keep pets, household cleaners, and other chemicals away from food and surfaces used for food.
8. When picnicking or cooking outdoors, take plenty of clean utensils. Pack clean, dry, and wet and soapy cloths for cleaning surfaces and hands.

Because bacteria are everywhere, cleanliness is a major factor in preventing foodborne illness. By keeping everything clean that comes in contact with food, consumers can be assured they are helping to do their part to Be Food Safe.

Safeguarding your home against foodborne illnesses begins not at home, but at the supermarket, grocery store, or any other place where you buy food that you plan to store and serve.

Combating foodborne illnesses is a top priority at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That's because, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), foodborne ailments cause about 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,200 deaths nationwide each year.

You as a consumer can play a key role in preventing these illnesses. While shopping for food, you should:

1. Check for cleanliness

Buying from a retailer who follows proper food handling practices helps assure that the food is safe. Ask yourself: What is the general impression of this facility? Does it look and smell clean?

2. Keep certain foods separated

Separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood from other foods in your grocery shopping cart. Place these foods in plastic bags to prevent their juices from dripping on other foods. It is also best to separate these foods from other foods at checkout and in your grocery bags.

3. Inspect cans and jars

Don't buy food in cans that are bulging or dented. Also, don't buy food in jars that are cracked or have loose or bulging lids.

Since foods sold in cans or jars are processed to be sterile, they can "keep" for a long time if the can or jar is intact. A bulging can or jar lid may mean the food was under-processed and is contaminated. A dent in a can, especially if the dent affects a seam, may cause an opening in the seam which may allow contamination, as would a crack in a jar. A loose lid on a jar means the vacuum has been lost and the product may be contaminated. Don't buy a food product whose seal seems tampered with or damaged.

4. Inspect frozen food packaging

Don't buy frozen food if the package is damaged. Packages should not be open, torn or crushed on the edges. Also, avoid packages that are above the frost line in the store's freezer. If the package cover is transparent, look for signs of frost or ice crystals. This could mean that the food in the package has either been stored for a long time or thawed and refrozen. In such cases, choose another package.

5. Select frozen foods and perishables last

Meat, poultry, fish and eggs should be the last items placed in your shopping cart. Always put these products in separate plastic bags so that drippings don't contaminate other foods.

6. Choose fresh eggs carefully

Before putting eggs in your cart, open the carton and make sure that the eggs are clean and none is cracked. Buy only refrigerated eggs and follow the "Safe Handling Instructions" on the carton.

7. Be mindful of time and temperature

It's important to refrigerate perishable products as soon as possible after grocery shopping. Food safety experts stress the "2-hour rule"—because harmful bacteria can multiply in the "danger zone" (between 40° and 140° F), perishable foods should not be left at room temperature longer than 2 hours. Modify that rule to 1 hour when temperatures are above 90° F, as they often are in cars that have been parked in the sun.

If it will take more than an hour to get your groceries home, use an ice chest to keep frozen and perishable foods cold. Also, when the weather is warm and you are using your car's air conditioner, keep your groceries in the passenger compartment, not the trunk.