Half of all foodborne illness outbreaks are associated with restaurants. To better understand the environmental causes of restaurant-related foodborne illness outbreaks, and subsequently reduce or mitigate them, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Environmental Health Specialists Network (EHS-Net) conducts studies on food preparation practices and other factors that could contribute to foodborne illness outbreaks. Speakers at this symposium will present results from five such studies and discuss them within the framework of foodborne illness outbreaks. Specific findings to be discussed include the following.

• Many restaurants do not have policies that specifically address when and for how long ill workers should be prevented from working.
• Many restaurants engage in leafy greens preparation practices discouraged by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), such as soaking leafy greens during washing and using bare hand contact while preparing leafy greens.
• Some restaurants do not take the precautions to ensure that foods cooked in microwaves reach safe temperatures.
• FDA recommended food cooling practices positively impact food cooling rates.
• Food safety certification positively influences restaurant manager and worker food safety knowledge.

Presentations