City of Columbus

There are hundreds of microorganisms and chemicals that can cause illness through food or water. Any illness that is caused by eating contaminated food or water is considered a foodborne illness.  

Columbus Public Health investigates cases of foodborne illness to discover and correct problems in the food production and distribution system and prevent future illness. Consumers and business owners can help by reporting illnesses they suspect might be foodborne.

Foodborne Illnesses

The onset of illness can be almost immediate or up to 70 days, depending on the cause. Some common symptoms are diarrhea, fever, vomiting, jaundice (yellow skin color) and sore throat with fever.

What is it? 
Food Poisoning Causes - Foodsafety.gov
A-Z Index for Foodborne Illness - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Reporting Illness

Reporting Illnesses for Consumers
Columbus Public Health takes all complaints regarding food borne illness and food safety seriously. If you believe that you have become ill from something you ate, we would like to know.

• Please call 614-645-1791 and report it to Columbus Public Health.
• You may also e-mail Columbus Public Health at [email protected] with foodborne illness complaints.  

For all other food related complaints, please contact 311 at 614-645-3111 or online at 311 (columbus.gov).