When most people hear "food poisoning", they immediately assume the cause to be cooked food provided by a public venue and consumed either on-site or at another location such as a reception, meeting, home or a myriad of other places. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminds us that food borne diseases continue to be a significant cause of morbidity in the United States among all age groups.  The general public would probably agree the most important contributor to be improper food handling and preparation practices in restaurant kitchens, but might be surprised to learn that the same improper handling and preparation practices are common in private home kitchens.

A California study, launched in 2006 by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) involved the use of an online self-assessment questionnaire which was completed by approximately 13,000 adults over a two-year period.

The study appears in the September 3 edition of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) and states that approximately one in seven private home kitchens in America would fail a restaurant-style health inspection.

The quiz contained 57 questions regarding food safety and proper preparation techniques,  questions about flies and rodents in the home, whether or not jewelry was worn before cooking and the placement of food in a refrigerator.

Grading the responses based on the same parameters used in schools, 34% received an A, 27%  a B, 25% a C and 14% revealed scores lower than 70%

"When queried regarding food handling and preparation practices, approximately 27% reported not storing partially cooked foods that would not be used immediately in the refrigerator before final cooking; 28% said they did not remove all jewelry from hands and/or did not keep fingernails trimmed when cooking; 26% reported that their kitchen shelves and cabinets were not clean and free from dust," authors noted.

Additionally, "Approximately 36% of respondents said that they did not have a properly working thermometer inside the refrigerator. Approximately 9% reported that they had flies inside the home; 6% reported cockroaches; and 5% reported rodents inside their homes."

The CDC reports that 98% of full-service restaurants  received what would be comparable to an A or B rating in Los Angeles County between 2006-2008 as confirmed by Los Angeles County Public Health.

An important factor in these results is that while restaurants were physically inspected by trained food safety professionals and required to have at least one certified food handler on staff, home kitchen results were based exclusively on respondent self-reports, intending to promote learning.

Nevertheless, foodborne illness is a serious public health problem affecting an estimated 76 million people each year.  Hospitalization is required for more than 300,000 individuals, and 5,000 Americans die as a result of food borne illnesses.  Suffering the most serious health consequences are the very young, the elderly and the immunocompromised.

Influencing  the emergence of new as well as traditional food borne diseases, are changes in food production and distributions, microbial adaptation, changes in human demographics and food preference as well as lack of support for public health resources and infrastructure.    Increasing travel and trade opportunities  pose more opportunity for spreading food borne illnesses locally, regionally and globally.

Important Tips for Optimum Food Safety:
    Food Temperature:
    *Always store these foods in the refrigerator or freezer:  Eggs, Cut Melons, Unpasteurized Juices, Sprouts, Raw Meat, Milk and Leftovers within 2 hours of purchase
     *Maintain 41 degrees inside refrigerator temperature
    *Store partially cooked foods that will not be used immediately, in the refrigerator prior to final cooking.
     *Defrost frozen foods by either storing them inside the refrigerator, under cold running water, using a microwave oven, or during the cooking process.
    *Cook meat thoroughly until the juices are clear, not bloody.
   
    Food Storage:
    *Store raw meats below all other food in my refrigerator.
    *Cover refrigerated foods to prevent overhead or cross- contamination.
     *Refrigerated food should be well spaced allowing cool air to circulate freely

    Food Handling
     *Make sure that utensils, food equipment, and my hands are clean before handling food.
     *When washing my hands, make sure that no food items are in the sink.
     *Thoroughly rinse my fruits and vegetables before cooking or eating them.
            *After handling raw meats, wash and sanitize, by hand or in the dishwasher, the cutting board and knife before using to prepare ready-to-eat foods (e.g. a head of lettuce).
     *Frequent hand washing especially after using the restroom and before preparing food.
            *Make sure raw food items are separated from ready-to-eat foods when they are bagged at the grocery store.
    *Make sure hazardous chemicals are separated from my foods when they are bagged at the grocery store, and when stored at home.
    *Remove all jewelry and keep fingernails clean prior to food preparation.
 
    Contamination Risk:
    *Rodents, cockroaches, flies or other insects.
    *Kitchen sinks that don't drain properly or leaky pipes.
     *Improperly washed utensils  (i.e., knives and cutting boards) with hot soapy water following cutting or handling raw meat.

    Daily Routines:
    *Keep counter tops and other food preparation areas/surfaces properly cleaned.
    *Keep kitchen shelves and cabinets clean and dust-free.
    *Discard damaged kitchen utensils (i.e. chipped knives, rusted can opener) and replace with new ones.
    *Never store dry food items on the floor - always use shelves or cabinets.
    *Keep a properly working thermometer inside refrigerator.
    *Dispose of damaged and/or swollen canned foods.
    *Always have soap and paper towels available for hand washing.
    *Wash and sanitize sponges and dishcloths daily and replace when soiled.