9. Wild mushrooms: Portabello and shiitake lovers have no reason to worry. Just don't go scavenging in your backyard. Only eat mushrooms you've purchased in the grocery store. A few common species of mushrooms are poisonous... deadly poisonous.
10. Raw homemade cookie dough. We're not talking about the prepackaged kind that many of us prefer to nibble on straight from the tube or tub. We're talking about homemade batter that's made with eggs. Raw eggs can be contaminated with salmonella, a food-borne illness that can prove fatal if untreated.
11. Rare hamburger. Hamburger and other ground meat should be cooked to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent E. coli. Always use a food thermometer to ensure you've cooked the beef to a safe temperature.
12. Turkey and stuffing. Cooking stuffing in a turkey or chicken is a major no-no. The bird cooks both from the outside and the inside. When you stuff the bird, it reduces the heat penetration. Your best bet is to cook the turkey and stuffing separately. If you choose to cook them together, make sure the temperature reaches at least 180 degrees Fahrenheit in the innermost part of the thigh while the center of the stuffing inside the turkey reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Bacteria can survive in stuffing that hasn't reached that temperature.
13. Shakes and eggs. A popular favorite these days is protein shakes. Unfortunately, they can do more harm than good when raw eggs are added to the mix. Once again, you're putting yourself at risk for salmonella when you consume raw eggs. Also, beware of sunny side up or runny eggs. The rule of thumb is to cook the egg until both the yolk and the white are firm.
To get your copy of The Safe Baby : A Do-It-Yourself Guide for Home Safety, click here. For more great advice from Holtzman, click here.
Psst... Want to know the easiest way to good nutrition and weight loss? Hint: It's delicious, you don't have to cook, count calories or do dishes -- and you get a FREE eDiets membership! Find out here.
Debra Holtzman, JD, MA, has a master's degree in Occupational Health and Safety and is an attorney. She has nearly two decades of experience in the safety and health fields. Debra is the safety expert on the Discovery Health Channel's TV show Make Room for Baby.
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