If you believe you got food poisoning from a restaurant or other food source in your community, you need to contact your local health department. Contacting the health department helps them keep track of places where contamination or foodborne outbreaks occur so they can investigate further.In some states, doctors must report communicable diseases, such as foodborne disease outbreaks, to government agencies.;
, Most areas offer two ways to report a foodborne illness. You can call the health department, or you can go to the health department’s website.If you call the health department, you will probably have a 10 to 15 minute interview. They will ask you an array of questions. Before you call, make sure you have all of your information ready. Be as specific as possible.
If you prefer to fill out an online form, go to the community’s health department’s website. They may offer a printable form or a form you can submit online.
 When you report food poisoning, you often will have to state what your symptoms are. This helps public health officials in their investigations if they can find common symptoms or ailments. This also helps them be able to narrow down which foodborne disease may be afflicting people.Include how long the symptoms lasted and when they started.
Common symptoms of food poisoning are diarrhea and vomiting. Symptoms may also include abdominal cramps, nausea, fever, and fatigue. These symptoms may last one to seven days.
 When reporting food poisoning, you will have to give information about where you ate the food. This includes the name of the restaurant or grocery store and the address.You should also include the date and time you ate the food. This can help with the public health official’s investigation.
 One of the most important things you can do when you report food poisoning is to give the details about what you ate. Everything you ate is important, from appetizers, side dishes, main courses, and desserts. You should also include any dressings, condiments, or sauces you had. Include what you drank, too.For example, you might say that you had two pieces of baked chicken with a side of french fries and a side salad with ranch dressing at 7:30 p.m.
 If you ate at the restaurant with other people, you may be required to provide information about them. You may need to state how many people were in your party or how many other people got sick from the meal. You may also have to talk about how many of those people live in the same household., If you went to the doctor, the doctor may have taken stool samples or run tests to determine what disease you had. If you know which foodborne illness you contracted, you can provide this information.Include your doctor’s contact information in case the public health officer needs to contact the doctor.
 If you believe you have food poisoning due to a food that is regulated by the FDA that you purchased in a grocery store, you should contact the FDA. When you report a product to the FDA, you need to provide the names of the people affected and your details. If you were treated by a doctor, provide that information, too.Include a description of the product, including codes or identifying marks on the label or container. State the problem with the product in detail.
Provide the contact information for where the product was purchased, such as the store’s address and the date purchased.
You should also report the food poisoning to the manufacturer.
Don’t report restaurant food poisonings to the FDA.
 Some community health departments may wish to run tests on the suspect food. If you have any food left over, place it in a container, separate from the rest of your food. You don’t want anyone to eat it.Not all communities will want to examine the food, even if you have kept it.
Contact the local health department.
Decide the method of your complaint.
Explain your symptoms.
Provide information about where you ate.
Detail the foods you ate.
Include information about other people in your party.
Include any medical details.
Write to the FDA.
Keep any leftover food in a container.
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