Now on the Menu: The Nasty Norovirus

You’re in between evening events, the kids are in the car, and everyone’s hungry. Where do you go to eat?

A lot of Americans want something quick and healthy — as well as safe, especially in light of the very public E. coli outbreaks at Chipotle Mexican Grill locations across the nation. More than 500 people reportedly have been sickened at that one chain alone since last July. Chipotle has had serious issues with foodborne illness in 12 states.

The company, in a securities filing last week, reported it was served with a grand jury subpoena in December over the norovirus outbreak at a Simi Valley, California, restaurant in August. More than 230 people, including 17 employees, were sickened in that one outbreak.

If you’ve had a case of norovirus, or food poisoning, you know it’s not something you ever want again. It’s not anything you’d wish on your worst enemy, let alone your child.

But food illness outbreaks in the restaurant industry are nothing new. A few reminders:

• 1977: 59 people reported food poisoning tracked to the hot sauce made from improperly canned jalapeno peppers at Trini & Carmine’s Restaurant in Waterford, Michigan.
• 1993: Jack in the Box made news when four children died and hundreds fell ill from an E. coli breakout.
• 2000: E. coli was linked to over 60 cases of people sickened after dining at a Wisconsin Sizzler, sadly claiming the life of a 3-year old girl.
• November 2003: Hepatitis A outbreak at a Chi-Chi’s restaurant in Monaca, Pennsylvania, caused the death of four people and sickened hundreds, including high school students who pass it to others. (The chain no longer operates in the U.S.)

And just three months after the first Chick-fil-A in Manhattan opened its doors, it closed after being cited for 59 total violation points. The store reopened Jan. 5.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans, or 48 million people, get sick. Of those, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, protozoa and parasites. And those are just the cases we know about. The CDC estimates a majority of cases are not reported.

The consumer watchdog group, Center for Science in the Public Interest, states, “We’re still twice as likely to get food poisoning dining out than in.”

So what’s a family to do? Stay home every night and eat in? While it’s a great concept, we all know that is highly unlikely in this day and age.

Eric Aakko, director of health communication,education and planning  with the Public Health and Environment Department in Weld County, Colorado, offers this reminder to families, and restaurant employees: “The number one thing people can do to prevent germ spreading is wash their hands. This simple quick act can do wonders to keep people healthy.”

For families who really want to ensure that a dining establishment has a clean record when it comes to health inspections or other violations, Aakko said it’s not hard to do a little homework before dining out.

Cities, counties and states should offer access to any health inspection violations or other reports filed in regard to a particular establishment. You should be able to look up a restaurant by name and see if it’s had any violations or shutdowns. Aakko said restaurants get grades as students, using the A-B-C-D-F system.

“Many restaurants will take pride in their high grades and post them on the front door,” he told LifeZette.

Related: Chipotle Hit with Subpoena in Federal Criminal Investigation Over Norovirus

Aakko and other health experts also agree that simply looking around and making sure things look clean is another easy thing families can do to try to ensure a safe dining experience. Everything, from the exterior to the bathrooms, tabletops, counters, even staff — should, at the very least, appear clean. You also shouldn’t be shy about asking how food is prepared. If it comes to you uncooked or looks unappetizing, send it back.

We can never be 100-percent certain that everything is “safe” while dining out. If someone else is doing the cooking and cleaning, it’s somewhat out of our hands. But it is easy to remain sensible. Smart, simple steps ensure that everyone in the car gets fed well, and gets on their way to whatever might be next in store.