Food expert reveals the six things he would 'never' do with his meals

As norovirus sweeps through the US, a food expert has detailed six ways you can avoid picking up a food-related illness.

One-in-four Americans who were tested for norovirus, a common foodborne illness that causes violent diarrhea and vomiting, were positive according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

There have been 1,078 outbreaks between August 1 and January 15, 521 more cases than the same period last year. While figures from the department also states that 3,000 Americans die each year due to food-related illnesses.

Norovirus has swept through the US in recent weeks and months, so if you want to avoid this violent food-related illness you might want to listen to food safety expert Dr Darin Detwiler (Getty stock)

Now, Dr Darin Detwiler, a former advisor to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has revealed the six things he would 'never' do relating to his meals.

Eating from a salad bar or buffet

Yes, something as benign as eating from a salad bar the food safety expert at Northeastern University in Boston has warned against.

This is for the obvious reason that there is a 'major opportunity' for contamination with people standing over the food.

"I would never ever, ever, ever go to a buffet or eat from a salad bars," he told Mail Online.

Steer clear of oysters

"There are many times where oysters are harvested in waters that have high levels of contamination," Detwiler explained, adding that oysters come with a tag to indicate where they came from to prevent outbreaks of vibriosis, which can eventually kill you.

"You're supposed to hold on to this tag in cause there is an outbreak, and many restaurants don't hold on to that kind of thing.

"There are restaurants that will literally serve an oyster platter that has, say, eight different oysters. That sounds like a great experience, but the fact is, it's like Russian roulette."

If you enjoy dessert, it might be best to have cantaloupe at home and dine on something else... like cheesecake! (Getty stock)

Pre-cut cantaloupe

Desserts vary considerably, to full fat cheesecakes to coffees and for the healthier individuals among us... even fruit!

While dining on melon is undoubtedly better for your arteries than chocolate cake, the likelihood that a singular slice of cake will kill you will be virtually zero - the only danger comes from overindulging.

But with cantaloupe specifically, microbes can attach themselves to the netted exterior quite easily.

"Cantaloupes are practically impossible to clean, and quite honestly, it's like a sleeper killer," the doctor explained.

"Cantaloupe should be eaten as soon as it is cut open. Never eat pre-cut or halved cantaloupe.

"No one ever thinks cantaloupes, and yet the single food that is responsible for the most deaths is cantaloupe."

According to the CDC, there was a salmonella outbreak in 44 states that only ended in January, and cantaloupe was linked to the cause which saw 407 Americans fall ill, six of which died, while a further 158 required treatment in hospital.

These next three things Detwiler said he would 'never' do aren't associated directly with food, moreso just its keeping and handling.

Takeaways delivered by apps

This might be a tough one to stick to, but the reasoning our food expert has said he'd avoid using popular delivery apps to order from local restaurants is because they have the potential to be colder than the meals are designed to be, which could open it up to being contaminated by salmonella or E. coli.

According to the FDA, if food drops to between 41°F and 135°F, it becomes a perfect temperature for bacteria to thrive on.

Are the bogs pretty grotty? Steer clear if so... is the advice from Detwiler (Getty stock)

Eating out? Check the bathroom

Detwiler said the key things to look out for is whether the toilets are dirty, if there's enough paper towels and if the countertop around the sink isn't clean.

He shared with the publication: "I have literally walked out of restaurants, even if I was hungry and wanted to eat there, because their bathroom was so disgusting.

"If they're serious about sanitation, that's a place that will show you the restaurant is clean. I don't even want to know what's going on in the kitchen."

Is the bartender keeping good practises?

"I'm not a fan of going to a bar where I see the bartender is using the glass to scoop the ice. That's a big no-no," he explained.

This is because if the glass hasn't been properly cleaned it might spread E. coli or salmonella to the ice, while the other reason is if glass breaks in it.

Detwiler added: "How easy is it to tell the difference between broken glass and ice? It kind of looks the same, right?"