How To Avoid Food Spoilage And Related Illness

With the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, many will be needing to keep in mind the dangers of food spoilage and related illnesses.

According to Adam Dickerson, a registered sanitarian at the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department, salmonella is the most common foodbourne illness associated with the holidays. Salmonella is contracted by consuming under cooked meat or other food that has been contaminated. Dickerson says some helpful tips to ensure that everyone stays healthy during the holiday meal.

"Cooking your poultry to 165 degrees. Making sure that you’re separating any kind of raw meat from foods that are ready to eat so for instance you don’t want like raw turkey over top of vegetables. Because you wouldn’t want it to drip down onto the food that you’re getting ready to eat without cooking and then also washing your hands thoroughly."

Food poisoning is also something to watch out for during the Thanksgiving holiday. Dickerson shared some symptoms to keep in mind if you start feeling sick.

"Probably the two most common are vomiting and diarrhea. Also people could get chills or acheyness, fever."

You are encouraged to see a doctor if any of these symptom arise or you suspect that you might have food poisoning. To learn more about food related illness and keeping your meal safe you can visit the Health Departments website: www.zmchd.org