About Restaurant Food Safety

For Everyone
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Key points

  • Explore our resources to help health departments improve investigations of outbreaks and improve food safety practices in restaurants and other retail settings.
  • We also offer resources for restaurants and tips for the public.
Servers holding plates.

Fast facts

  • The United States has approximately 800 outbreaks of foodborne disease reported each year.1
  • More than half of all U.S. foodborne outbreaks are associated with restaurants, delis, banquet facilities, schools, and other institutions.1
  • CDC estimates that each year in the Untied States, the most common foodborne pathogens cause an estimated 9.9 million illnesses, 53,000 hospitalizations, and 931 deaths.2
  • Foodborne illnesses cost the United States about $74.7 billion a year.3

What you can do

  • The public can follow our tips to avoid poisoning before, during, and after dining out (en español).

Resources

Improving investigations

Preventing foodborne outbreaks in restaurants requires us to know how and why they happen. During outbreak investigations, health departments conduct environmental assessments to find this information. Explore our resources.

NEARS graphic
National Environmental Assessment Reporting System
Use NEARS to capture environmental assessment data from foodborne illness outbreak investigations
Image of two food workers from a training.
Training and Resources
Learn how to address environmental causes of foodborne illnesses with our free food safety training.
Food workers in a kitchen.
Investigation Summaries in Plain Language
Explore key findings about the environmental component of foodborne illness outbreak investigations.
Group of people working together in an office.
Accomplishments in Improving Investigations
Explore the impact of our work to improve investigations of foodborne illness outbreaks.

Improving practices

We provide resources to help health departments improve food safety practices at restaurants and retail settings. These resources are based on our practice-based research.

Two cooks working over a stove.
Improving Practices
Explore our research on restaurant practices to reduce foodborne illness in restaurants.
Food worker holding plates with a kitchen in the background.
Practice Summaries in Plain Language
Explore key findings from our research on restaurant food safety practices.
Magnifying glass with glasses and paper in the background.
Partner Tools
Explore tools from partners working to reduce foodborne illness and outbreaks in their communities.
Waitress carrying plates of food.
Accomplishments in Researching Practices
Explore the impact of our research on restaurant food safety. 
Professionals working together, reaching their hands in to collectively put the puzzle pieces together.
Environmental Public Health Practice Gateway
Health departments: Explore practices to solve environmental health problems in your jurisdiction.
Photograph of food workers in a kitchen.
Resources for Restaurants
Explore our resources to help restaurant management prevent foodborne illness.
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Content Source
National Center for Environmental Health
About This Page
Published: May 15, 2024
Updated: August 18, 2026

This page was last updated on this date. Updates may include minor edits, image changes, or other modifications to page content.

Reviewed: August 18, 2026

The information on this page was last reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy.

  1. Surveillance for foodborne disease outbreaks — United States, 2009–2015.
  2. Estimates: Burden of foodborne illness in the United States.
  3. Cost estimates of foodborne illnesses.