As the holiday approaches, visions and smells of a plump, roasted turkey are in the air. Imagine scraping that Thanksgiving plate clean of potatoes, green beans and meat - and then spending the rest of break cramping, vomiting and having diarrhea.

Besides experiencing these typical effects of the salmonella germ or campylobacter bacteria, the infection can become more severe for some people and cause them to land in the hospital - it can even be fatal.

To avoid anything but heartiness during the holiday break, certain food standards should be followed.

Karen Blakeslee, Research and Extension food scientist, said food safety can be an issue during the holidays.

"We point out things this time of year because it's a big holiday, and you're usually gathering a lot of people together," Blakeslee said. "There's a bigger potential for food safety things to happen."

Chrissy Stecich, sophomore in bakery science and management, said her family has a big Thanksgiving dinner, and she usually helps make the mashed potatoes and cut the vegetables.

Stecich said she is careful when making food to make sure everything stays clean and gets cooked properly. When making mashed potatoes, she said she frequently washes the potatoes as she cuts and peels them.

"I work with food, so I'm pretty conscious of what's going on with my food," she said.

Blakeslee said hand washing should be the first step of the cooking process.

"That's probably the most important thing you can do, especially after handling a raw turkey and before you go on to make any of the other food," she said.

Blakeslee said hands also should be washed during the cooking process, like after cracking eggs for the pumpkin pie. Doug Powell, scientific director of the International Food Safety Network, also said hand washing was important. The International Food Safety Network has a Web site, donteatpoop.com, devoted to the importance of hand washing.

"If you don't wash your hands - and then eat - guess what you are eating," Powell said. "Most diseases are carried through the oral-fecal route."

Blakeslee said surfaces where food is located should be kept clean, and all foods' temperatures should be monitored.

"Keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold is real important," she said. "Don't wait so long to serve after the turkey is out of the oven."

She said hot foods should be above 140 degrees Fahrenheit, and cold foods below 40 degrees, with the exception of the turkey.

She said a thermometer needs to be inserted into the meatiest part of the turkey, like the breast area, and it should register 165 F.

According to a fact sheet from the United States Department of Agriculture, fresh turkeys should be purchased one or two days before cooking. The USDA recommends that consumers not buy pre-stuffed fresh turkeys.

Powell said many people think cooking the turkey is simple, but he said that is not always true.

"It can be hard," he said. "Food safety is not simple. People have to pay attention."

He said it is important to properly cook the turkey because poultry is a carrier of salmonella and campylobacter.

"They are some of the leading causes of food-borne illness, and they occur naturally in those birds," Powell said.

According to the Center for Disease Control, about 40,000 cases of salmonella are reported in the United States every year, and about 600 people die from the germ.

Salmonella is a germ that can cause those infected to have diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12-72 hours after the initial infection. The infections usually resolve five to seven days later, according to the site.

Campylobacter bacteria can cause diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever within two to five days. About 1 million people are estimated to get the infection every year, and 100 die, according to the site.

Both of the germs reportedly occur after someone handles raw poultry or eats raw or uncooked poultry. Eating contaminated foods like beef, milk, eggs or vegetables also can transmit salmonella, as well as unwashed hands.

Powell said the USDA and Butterball have basic tips for cooking turkey. He said other typical dishes like mashed potatoes and green beans also have safety recommendations.

Since potatoes are grown in the ground, they have dirt on the inside and contain bacteria. Powell said the potatoes should be washed several times.

He said the green beans should be fine if they are cooked, but if they are eaten raw, the consumer needs to make sure nothing comes into contact with the vegetable.

Though the holidays are filled with large meals, Powell said food safety should be remembered all year long.

"You get the sense that people pay more attention to food safety (on Thanksgiving) than any other day of the year," he said, "and they should do the same the other 364 days of the year."