Butfoodborne illnessdue to harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins, and chemicals is astoundingly common.
Thats a lot of wear and tear on toilets around the nation.
Its not just restaurants orsupermarket producecausing the trouble.
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Here are a few that might surprise you.
You let frozen raw meat or poultry thaw on the counter.
Bacteriagrow rapidly at room temperature, according toFoodSafety.gov.
That bacteria can make you sick and contaminate other items in your kitchen, Tierno says.
You wash raw poultry before cooking it.
If you do this, you should stop.
Giving your raw poultry a scrub doesnt get rid of these pathogens.
You dont pay attention to food recalls.
You dont wash fruits and vegetables that have inedible skins.
Whether its anavocadoor anapple, you should wash all produce before eating or cooking with it, Tierno advises.
If you think you might skip washing fruits and vegetables when you dont eat the skin, think again.
(The only real exception is prewashed produce.)
Contamination on fruits and veggie skins is a real concern.
Eating food contaminated withListeriacan cause listeriosis, a serious and potentially fatal illness, according to theCDC.
Hard-skinned produce, like avocados, can even be scrubbed with a produce brush.
You dont use a meat thermometer.
Color is not a good indication of doneness, Kowalcyk says.
(Same goes for smelling or tasting food to see if its still good.
You cant tell by sight or smell if food is safe.)
For items like meat and poultry, Kowalcyk recommends using a digital tip-sensitive meat thermometer.
Foodsafety.govmaintains a list of safe minimum cooking temperatures.
For example, poultry should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
A fresh steak can be cooked to 145 degrees, with a three-minute rest time.
Its vital to include the rest times when indicated since the heat continues to destroy pathogens.
Remember, those temperatures areminimums.you’re free to cook to a higher internal temperature for extra caution.
You skip washing your hands and sanitizing surfaces between food prep stages.
The whole concept here is to prevent cross-contamination, Tierno explains.
Its also important to prevent any surface thats touched raw meat from cross-contaminating other items.
For example, a plate that carries raw meat to a grill shouldnt carry the cooked meat back.
Finally,replace or sanitize your sponges and cleaning cloths often, since they can harbor bacteria.
You dont keep raw meat separate from other foods.
Avoiding cross-contamination actually begins at the supermarket.
The less that intrudes in your body, the less chance that youre going to get sick.
You leave food sitting out for too long after cooking or eating.
This is also important because bacteria can proliferate quickly when food cools right after cooking.
This can make it more difficult to pinpoint the offender.
After symptoms do begin, they typically abate within 48 hours, according to theMayo Clinic.
TheMayo Clinicrecommends drinking small amounts of liquid slowly to maintain hydration but avoid prompting nausea, and resting.
Eventually introduce bland foods back into your system when you think you might handle them.
If your symptoms go on for more than two or three days, its time to see a doctor.
