When it comes to some germs, such as Salmonella, all it takes is 15 to 20 cells in under-cooked food to cause food poisoning. And just a tiny taste of food with botulism toxin can cause paralysis and even death.

Foodborne illness is a preventable public health challenge that causes an estimated 48 million illnesses and 3,000 deaths each year in the United States. It is an illness that comes from eating contaminated food.

The onset of symptoms may occur within minutes to weeks and often presents itself as flu-like symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or fever. Because the symptoms are often flu-like, many people may not recognize that the illness is caused by harmful bacteria or other pathogens in food.

Here are some common food safety mistakes, taken from www.foodsafety.gov that have been proven to cause serious illness.

• Mistake #1: Tasting food to see if it’s still good. Why? You can’t taste (or smell or see) thebacteria that cause food poisoning. Tasting only a tiny amount can cause serious illness. Solution: Throw food out before harmful bacteria grows. Check the Safe Storage Times chart http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/storagetimes.html to be sure.
• Mistake #2: Putting cooked meat back on a plate that held raw meat. Why? Germs from the raw meat can spread to the cooked meat. Solution: Always use separate plates for raw meat and cooked meat. The same rule applies to poultry and seafood.
• Mistake #3: Thawing food on the counter. Why? Harmful germs can multiply extremely rapidly at room temperature. Solution: Thaw food safely: In the refrigerator, In cold water, or In themicrowave.
• Mistake #4: Washing meat or poultry. Why? Washing raw meat or poultry can spread bacteria to your sink, countertops, and other surfaces in your kitchen. Solution: Don’t wash meat,poultry, or eggs. Or, if you must rinse or wash it, be sure to clean and sanitize your sink and any contact surface.
• Mistake #5: Letting food cool before putting it in the fridge.  Why? Illness-causing bacteria can grow in perishable foods within two hours unless you refrigerate them. Solution: Refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours (or within 1 hour if the temperature is over 90˚F).
• Mistake #6: Eating raw cookie dough (or other foods with uncooked eggs). Why? Uncooked eggs may contain Salmonella or other harmful bacteria. Solution: Always cook eggs thoroughly. Avoid foods that contain raw or undercooked eggs.
• Mistake #7: Marinating meat or seafood on the counter.  Why? Harmful germs in meat or seafood can multiply extremely rapidly at room temperature. Solution: Always marinate meat or seafood in the refrigerator.
• Mistake #8: Using raw meat marinade on cooked food. Why:? Germs from the raw meat (or seafood) can spread to the cooked food. Solution: You can reuse marinade only if you bring to a boil just before using.
• Mistake #9: Undercooking meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs. Why? Cooked food is safe only after tit’s been cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria. Solution: Use the Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures chart that can be found at www.foodsafety.gov and a food thermometer.
• Mistake #10: Not washing your hands. Why? Germs on your hands can contaminate the food that you or others eat. Solution: Wash hands the right way—for 20 seconds with soap and running water.

With the Holiday season approaching, keeping food safe is a priority. For more resources on food safety contact the local health department at 574-946-6080.