How to stay safe while dining out

Nearly a third of Phoenix-area food providers have failed standards meant to stop the spread of foodborne illnesses during the past three years, an Arizona

Republic analysis found.

Most violations are corrected at the time of inspection, but experts say their inspection track record can be valuable for consumers, who can never truly know how food is prepared at restaurants.

You can see restaurants’ inspection history using The Republic’s database, which will be updated periodically. (To find the database, visit azcentral.com and search for “restaurant inspections.”)

Pat Buck, executive director and founder of the Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention, said vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and pregnant women, should be especially careful while dining out.

Buck’s tips include:

❚ Avoiding buffets, especially in areas where norovirus has been reported. ❚ Only eat meat that’s been cooked to temperatures that kill bacteria. Beef, pork and eggs should be cooked to 160 degrees, poultry to 165-170 degrees and fish to 145 degrees. If you prefer beef and pork cooked to 145 degrees, you should let it sit for three minutes before eating.

❚ Ask if beef has been mechanically tenderized. This process could bring contaminants from the skin of the meat to the inside.

❚ Keep up to date with restaurant inspections.

Consumers have gotten more savvy with restaurant health inspections, and people are checking inspection data more than they used to because of outbreaks at restaurants such as Chipotle, said Karen Jorgensen Kornman, an expert with Arizona Food Safety Specialists, which consults with restaurants and other food operators on health standards.

Patrons can trigger inspections by filing complaints with the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, as well as by visiting the county’s website.

“If you’ve heard stories and are unsure, check what their inspections have been,” Kornman said. “A lot more people are doing that.”