As we head into the holiday season… It’s that time of year for a lot of food and a lot of leftovers.

According to Dr John O’Keefe of the Il Dept. of Agriculture it’s also the season for food poisoning when you don’t fully cook meat, or fail to keep preparation surfaces clean.

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We hear a lot about food borne illnesses, like recent news stories about Chipotle… But in truth most food is perfectly safe when purchased, but we pick up bacteria at home during food preparation…. It’s actually very common. In fact a lot of people think they have the flu… when actually it’s mild food poisoning.

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Enjoy the holiday food through Christmas and New Years but be sure to follow the food preparation guidelines.