ServSafe CertificationGo ahead and order that rare steak, just don’t say your menu didn’t warn you.

As the now-familiar small print warns, consuming raw or undercooked meat increases the risk of contracting food-borne illness.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the food supply in the United States is one of the safest in the world, food-borne diseases nonetheless are responsible for 76 million Americans getting sick, more than 300,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths each year.

Professional kitchens work hard to balance flavor and food safety.

"Generally speaking, good food safety practices mean good quality," said Marion Turow, who teaches food safety at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., considered the premier culinary college in the United States. "By not holding something on a steam table for six hours, you’re going to have better quality food and better safety."

The state of Delaware, however, does not require restaurant operators or workers to pass the ServSafe test or otherwise be certified in safe food-handling practices, Delaware Online reports.