Food Poisoning Risk Higher in Restaurant Food

Eating out can certainly be fun and entertaining, but a recent study shows that food poisoning may be twice as likely to occur in restaurant food than home-cooked meals. 

According to a Center for Science in the Public Interest report (CSPI), health officials analyzed 10 years of outbreak data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that examined over 10,000 foodborne disease outbreaks from 2002 to 2011. Common bacterial outbreaks included Botulism, Salmonella, E. coli, heptatis A and Listeria.

Findings showed that more than 1,610 outbreaks in restaurants sickened close to 30,000 people. However, the number was significantly lower for cases seen in the home. A total of 893 outbreaks were linked to private homes that caused nearly 13,000 cases of foodborne illnesses, according to UPI.

However, researchers note that the numbers may actually be higher due to a number of under-reported cases.

"We believe the lower number of outbreaks during this period is mostly due to reporting declines in one populous state," stated the report, according to Food Quality News. "There were no trends suggesting a national reduction in state outbreak investigation and reporting. Of the 42 states with enough information to measure changes in the number of outbreaks reported over time, many improved for maintained stable reporting (20 improved, 6 maintained stable reporting)."

Caroline Smith DeWaal, CSPI food safety director, also notes that though fewer than 42 percent of outbreaks were reported by states to the CDC, that doesn't mean fewer people are getting sick.

"Underreporting of outbreaks has reached epidemic proportions," said Caroline Smith DeWaal, the CSPI food safety director, via the news organization. "Yet the details gleaned from outbreak investigations provide essential information so public health officials can shape food safety policy and make science-based recommendations to consumers."

For more information regarding the report, click here.