Food borne illness investigations in El Paso County have increased over the past three years. In 2008, two food-borne-illness related deaths have been reported within the county.

Preventing food-borne illness is a shared responsibility between the El Paso County Health Department, retail food establishments and the general public. It's also essential for a healthy community.

Bernadette Albanese, M.D., says from 2003 to 2008, El Paso County retail food establishments have increased from 2,146 to 2,553, or about 20 percent.

She says the health department must oversee that all of these businesses, ranging from restaurants to food carts and grocery stores, practice safe food handling.

Some of the safety measures (a 50-point check list) that the health department covers during an inspection include:

-Confirm that food is cooked at the proper temperature and that adequate heating kills germs naturally found in meat.

-Verify that stored food is cooled and reheated correctly. When perishable foods are stored, germs can hide in the center and rapidly grow if proper reheating methods aren't applied - leading to significant risk of food-borne illness.

-Confirm that facilities have adequate plans to ensure ill employees don't work with food.

In addition to partnering with food establishments, the health department educates the public about steps they can take at home to prevent food-borne illness, such as washing utensils and cutting boards after using them to prepare raw meat or poultry, and washing fresh fruit and produce to remove surface dirt and other contaminants.

According to officials, current budget cuts under consideration in El Paso County could put residents at risk.

The health department is the only local agency that investigates food-borne illness and staffing resources will significantly hinder their ability to protect the public through inspections and food safety training.

Health officials say further funding cuts may prevent the department from responding to the estimated 300 complaints it receives annually related to food-borne illness and safe food preparations.

For more information, you can visit the El Paso County health department's website by clicking on the link below.