Foodborne illness, commonly known as food poisoning, is caused by eating or drinking contaminated foods or beverages. Although it’s preventable, one in six Americans gets food poisoning every year. People over 65, children under 5, and people who are pregnant or immunocompromised have an increased risk of severe illness. FINS is a one-stop shop to help local health jurisdictions identify the source of food-related illnesses and respond faster to outbreaks.
1. Submit your food safety concern through the FINS website if you have a:
a. case or suspected case of foodborne illness. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, or fever.
b. food-related concern at an establishment such as a restaurant, grocery store, food truck, group event, or food delivery service. You can anonymously report what you saw, such as bad food handling, pests or rodents, a sick food worker, a facility sewage issue, or intentional contamination.
2. FINS sends your concern to the local authority. Once you submit your report using the form on the FINS webpage, an email notification is sent to the local health jurisdiction.
3. The local health jurisdiction reviews your FINS report. All concerns are reviewed. Local health jurisdictions have different methods to analyze reports to determine if further action is needed. Responding to outbreaks may involve contacting the food establishment, interviewing food workers, conducting an inspection, or contacting the person who reported the concern to gather additional information.
Foodborne illnesses can cause severe sickness and even death, but outbreaks often go unreported. Reporting using FINS is the best way to ensure action can be taken to promote food safety in Washington.
