by Ian Elliot
Northern News Services

NNSL (Dec 24/97) - Among the guests invited to holiday feasts, sometimes an intestine-paralysing bacteria crashes the party.

Given the amount of food that will be cooked this week, and the fact that improper preparation of turkey can be a fast ticket to food poisoning, the North's medical health officer says people should take care when roasting their Christmas turkey.

"It's a good time to be reminding people," Andre Corriveau said this week.

Undercooked turkey is the biggest cause of food poisoning, he said, and cooking a bird through is the only foolproof way to kill bacteria which may be hiding inside a bird. A stuffed turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted in the bird's inner thigh reads 82 C.

The Canadian Turkey Marketing Agency offers some common-sense advice to prevent contamination. It recommends thawing the bird in the fridge and not at room temperature, not using plates that held raw meat to hold cooked meat and refrigerating leftovers promptly.

After ensuring the bird is cooked, Corriveau says the most important thing is to clean preparation surfaces so that the juices of the bird do not contaminate other food or utensils.

Authorities recommend washing anything that comes in contact with the raw turkey in hot, soapy water, and to disinfect work surfaces with a bleach solution. Wood counters and cutting boards should not be used because they harbor bacteria.

Corriveau also recommends cooling food right away if it is not to be served immediately.

"If you are cooking things ahead, you shouldn't let them stand around," he said.

"Up here, you can even chill the food outdoors if you have a protected area."

Food poisoning can be caused by a number of bacteria, including E. coli and salmonella, and Corriveau noted that the diseases that they cause can be quite serious.