Food Sampling
Tips and Tricks
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If the outbreak is associated with a specific event, try to collect leftovers from the establishment or from attendees who may have taken food home
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If the implicated food is packaged, the best sampling scenario is to collect both an opened and unopened package
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If the exact foods from the time of the outbreak are not available, it may be valuable to collect the same food prepared at a different time. Be sure to ask what is different about this process compared to the suspected process, noting differences in who prepared the food and the source of the food.
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If warranted and resources are available, you may offer duplicate samples to the establishment's owner/manager, if they want to test samples at a third-party in addition to the public health lab