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Buffet Safety Tips

By The Husband and Wife Law Team on December 3, 2012

You’ve passed them hundreds of times driving to and from work and everywhere else you need to go. You hear radio ads in the car and at home, as well as see them on your computer, enticing you to have an all-you-can-eat meal that will stuff and satisfy you. They’re buffet restaurants and whether you’re enticed by the local Chinese special or American fare, you should consider your options and think twice before you dive in.

You know the rules about eating at buffets to keep yourself from overeating. You eat away from the food. You eat in tables that position you with your back to the food. You start with a salad, avoid the bread, and limit your desserts and other starches. But going to a buffet is about more than keeping yourself safe from overeating, heartburn, and weight gain. It’s also about keeping yourself safe from food poisoning, so consider the following tips:

• Choose foods that are well-covered from sneezing and coughing that comes from other patrons in the restaurant. Germs that get into the food could cause you to become ill.
• If you are allergic to anything that is on the buffet, avoid foods that are directly adjacent to those that cause your allergies. In most buffets, serving ware is frequently moved by patrons from dish to dish in the same general area, which can cause food contamination.
• Recognize that some foods just weren’t meant to be on a buffet. Buffets can get warm very fast and foods that are meant to be chilled, like certain types of shrimp, can become a serious hazard if they become warm. Hot foods can become a home for bacteria and serious foodborne illnesses if they are left out, and you should be especially wary of poultry and dishes containing eggs and dairy products.

Eating out at a buffet can be a lot of fun. You have a lot of food choices from appetizers to main courses to dessert, and the atmosphere is different than any other type of restaurant. But the personal injury lawyers in Phoenix of Breyer Law Offices, P.C. know these things won’t matter for long if you are exposed to food poisoning, which may not only ruin your evening but could also put you in the hospital, so next time you are at a buffet keep these safety tips in mind.