Avoiding food bourne illnesses when cooking for the holidays

If you’re getting ready for some holiday cookie baking, it’s important to know what to do to avoid getting sick. According to the World Health Organization, about 420,000 people die each year from a food borne illnesses.

According to Tamara Giles, a clinical dietitian at PRMC, food safety starts at the very beginning of holiday cooking, the shopping. When buying frozen or refrigerated foods, pick those up last to avoid having them sit out, which can cause bacteria to form.

Also never eat raw cookie dough, that can lead to salmonella. You should be especially aware of this when you’re sick as your immune defenses are weakened. Giles says you should also always clean your work space before you cook.

Giles tells 47 ABC, “The main thing is cleaning it off before you start, you don’t have to keep your pets out of the kitchen completely but do make sure that you clean off your counter tops before you start cooking just to make sure they haven’t brought anything in from outside.”

If you or your family have any questions or would like more information on safe cooking temperatures you can head to http://www.fightbac.org/