About Foodborne Illness

Food poisoning is a common term used to describe foodborne illnesses. A foodborne illness is any illness that is caused by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated beverages. Food and drink can be contaminated by bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins, and chemicals. The symptoms, onset, and length of a foodborne illness depend on the type of microbe and how much of it is swallowed. Usual symptoms of a foodborne illness can include vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. MORE

Most people assume that their symptoms were caused by the last meal they ate. However, some food contaminants can take days to cause symptoms after being ingested. For this reason, it is very important that the health department investigate all foods/drinks that you ingested within at least 3 days leading up to your symptoms.

You can report a case of food poisoning for yourself or someone else in your household either ONLINE or by phone 401-222-2749. If you are reporting illness from a large event, such as a wedding, reunion, or company gathering, please call us at 401-222-2749. If you are reporting outside of regular business hours (Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm) contact the after-hours hotline at 401-276-8046.

After you complete a food poisoning report, it will be reviewed by our staff. We may contact you to obtain a 3-day food history and to answer any additional questions. The Center for Food Protection uses the information from these reports to detect outbreaks of foodborne diseases. Our experts will decide the appropriate course of action. We appreciate your report.

Report a Foodborne Illness

Everything you share in this report is kept confidential at the Rhode Island Department of Health. Providing your contact information is essential for our staff to effectively respond to your suspected foodborne illness complaint. (*denotes required fields)

  • Form
  • Review
  • Complete
Your Information
Food Establishment Details
Illness Details
Who became ill?
Does everyone who became sick live in the same household? (Select yes if only one person was sick)
If more than one person became sick, did everyone who was sick eat at the same restaurant?
What symptoms did you or the person(s) who became ill experience?
Are any of the individuals still ill?

I hereby declare and affirm under the pains and penalties of perjury that the information on this form has been reviewed by me, and is true, and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I understand that I may be subject to civil penalties or criminal prosecution for any falsification, omission, or concealment of any material fact contained herein.