Nobody wants to be laid out with sickness from salmonella poisoning over the Christmas holidays.
That is the message from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, which is reminding cooks to practice good food safety and make sure their turkeys are well cooked.
"Epidemiologists often observe an increase in [salmonella] cases after the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays," the organization said in a press release.
"Salmonella illness can cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps that develop 12 to 72 hours after infection and usually last four to seven days."
To prevent the illness, turkeys should be cooked to an internal temperature of 74 C or hotter. Hands and surfaces should be washed with hot soapy water before and after food preparation, particularly when raw meat is involved.
After the meal is complete, leftovers should be put in the fridge within four hours and should be consumed within two to three days.
• For more information go to www.bccdc.ca.
