Berkeley County Health Department

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

Foodborne Illnesses

A foodborne illness is a disease carried or transmitted to people by food. The CDC defines a foodborne illness outbreak as an incident in which two or more people experience the same illness after eating the same food. A foodborne illness is confirmed when laboratory analysis shows that a specific food is the source of the illness.

Preventing Foodborne Illness
Preventing foodborne illness in an establishment can best be accomplished if you take a comprehensive approach. This includes setting up a food safety management system and training employees to handle food safely.

Training Employees in Food Safety
Food safety training should consist of the following:

Programs for both new and current employees.

Assessment tools that identify ongoing food safety training needs for employees.

A selection of resources that includes books, videos, posters, and technology-based materials to meet your learners' needs.

Records documenting that employees have completed training.

IF YOU SUSPECT YOU HAVE CONTRACTED A FOODBORNE ILLNESS?....

Call the Berkeley County Health Department Health Department at (304) 267-7130, as soon as possible. We will assist you by conducting a FOODBORNE illness investigation. Please have a 72-hour food history available along with any details pertaining to your illness and/or physician visits.