Beware Of Top 10 Holiday Food Risks

DETROIT -- Holiday feasts might be a treat, but some items on the buffet pose serious health hazards if they're not properly prepared or stored.

Ida Karoub said she'll spend three days fixing a feast fit for a king and queen.

"I'm having the biggest dinners Christmas Eve, Christmas morning and Christmas night and Christmas Day," she said.

But she's also taking precautions to make sure her holiday guests don't go home with sick belly intead of a full one.

"Cook the meat real well, cook the turkey real well, cook the stuffing real well," she said.

"Cook" is the key word. Holiday foods can be dangerous and even kill if there is enough bacteria or toxins in them.

Here are the top 10 deadly holiday foods, as reported by WDIV-TV in Detroit:

Some cookie dough has raw eggs, which can be contamined with salmonella.
Pies that sit out can grow dangerous bacteria.
Some eggnog has raw eggs. Buy the nog that's pasteurized.
The same thing goes for apple cider: Make sure it's pasteurized.
Chocolate isn't deadly for humans, but it can be toxic for pets.
Candy canes can pose a choking hazard.
Turkey: To avoid problems with turkey and stuffing, cook the turkey to 180 degrees and make sure the stuffing reaches 165 degrees so that dangerous bacteria won't survive.
Caesar salad: Some dressings use raw eggs.
Perishable foods like meat or vegetables can grow dangerous bacteria if they sit out for more than two hours.
Alcohol: This is extremely hazardous or even deadly for children who may accidentally drink spiked punch, eggnog or remnents of a drink left unattended.

Food poisoning symptoms like diarrhea or vomiting appear within eight to 10 hours of eating contaminated food. Salmonella poisoning symptoms could be delayed up to a day.

The good news is that if you get food poisoning, your immune systems usually kicks into gear to battle it. If it gets severe, contact your doctor.