Food Safety

Learn how to prepare food safely, prevent food poisoning, and report cases of foodborne illnesses.

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Germs and toxins spread through food can cause food poisoning or foodborne illnesses. People become sick when they consume contaminated food or water.

In Boston, if you suspect you have food poisoning, please call us at 617-534-5611 or submit online on the Massachusetts Department of Public Health website. You will be asked about your symptoms, and what and where you have eaten in the past few days. All information is confidential.

Questions? Contact us:
info@bphc.org
617-534-5611
1010 Massachusetts Ave.

Boston, MA 02118

How to Help Prevent Food Poisoning

1. Clean

Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water before and after preparing food, after touching raw food, before eating, after using the restroom, and after changing a diaper or cleaning up a child who has used the restroom. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Rinse all fresh fruits and vegetables under running water before cooking, packing, or eating.

Wash all surfaces and utensils with warm water and soap before and after use.

2. Separate

To avoid cross contamination, keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from other foods at all times.

Use separate containers and cutting boards for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.

If possible, use one cutting board for meat or poultry and one for ready-to-eat food such as raw produce or bread. If you only use one cutting board, wash the cutting board with soap and water between the preparation of raw meat, poultry, or fish and the preparation of produce you eat raw.

3. Cook

Cook your food to a safe internal temperature to kill germs that may make you sick. Use a food thermometer if you have one.

Safe Internal Temperatures:
- Beef, Bison, Veal, Lamb, Steaks, Pork, and Goat: 145°F
- Fish and Shellfish: 145°F
- Ground Meats: 160°F
- Chicken, Turkey, and Other Poultry: 165°F
- Leftovers and Casseroles: 165°F

4. Chill

Never leave leftover food out for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it’s warmer than 90°F).

Store food in temperatures below 40°F or above 140°F.

Keep refrigerator below 40°F and freezer at 0°F.

Thaw frozen foods safely in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave, never on the counter.

Symptoms

Symptoms of food poisoning include stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and headache. It is possible to develop bloody diarrhea or a more serious disease.

You should seek medical care if you have bloody diarrhea, diarrhea lasting more than 3 days, fever over 102°F, difficulty keeping liquids down, or signs of dehydration (peeing less, dry mouth, or feeling dizzy when standing up).

Those at greater risk of getting sick include young children, pregnant people, the elderly, and people who are immunocompromised.

It can take 30 minutes to 2 weeks before you start to feel sick from food poisoning.

Reporting

Restaurants suspected of being the cause of one or more cases of food-borne illness are subject to inspection. Boston Inspectional Services conducts inspections to determine if restaurants are adhering to sanitary codes.

Search the inspection history of restaurants across Boston on the Mayor's Food Court.

Food Product Recalls

Stores will remove food from shelves in the event of a recall caused by contamination. We urge residents to check at home for recalled products and throw the product away. For a list of food recalls, go to: