Heed these tips for eating at restaurants as well as festivals and fairs to help ensure food-borne illness doesn't become part of the outing, says the USDA:

• Wash your hands. You know where they've been, and some of those places aren't pretty.
• Shun any fresh-cooked food that doesn't arrive at your table piping hot. Ditto for any cold food that appears lukewarm.
• Pass up foods containing raw eggs -- a common source of Salmonella bacteria. Caesar salads, hollandaise sauce and French silk pie are among foods that often contain the bacteria.
• Order your food cooked to a safe internal temperature.
• Doggie bags may seem to be a good idea, but chuck any food that you can't refrigerate within two hours. In summer heat, make that one hour.