It’s Thanksgiving today, and many will be celebrating by eating and gathering with friends and family, but how food is prepared could trigger food borne illnesses.

Guthrie County Health Services Director Jotham Arber advises everyone to take the necessary steps to prevent food borne illnesses from happening.

“If we’re not taking care of the food like we should, and we’re not cooking it to the right temperature, we’re not covering it and putting it in the refrigerator like we should, leaving it out, that allows those things to grow. And when you eat something that has those things, most of the time, your body is really good at fighting off most of the things, but there are moments where the body can’t handle that, and that’s when we see those sicknesses.”

Arber reminds individuals that cooking hot dishes to the correct temperature kills off any bacteria that may cause sicknesses, while keeping dishes that are cold to their correct temperature can keep them from spoiling.