They're so easy. You pop a frozen meal in the microwave and its an instant dinner, but beware, if you don't cook them long enough or at the right temperature certain TV dinners could cause serious problems.
The government has issued a warning 32 people in 12 states got salmonella from eating uncooked chicken in a TV dinner. Joyce Pruitt says not cooking the food enough can be easy.
"You think its already done. When I looked at my shrimp last night they weren't but a lot of times with chicken you can't tell."
Doctor Christopher Smith with Village Hospital says the problem is many people assume the chicken is precooked.
Dr. Smith says, "When you microwave you are not cooking the food uniformly so in doing so it may have some cold spots where salmonella may still be harbored. "
Dr. Smith says if you get salmonella from the food you'll know it.
"If you start to have fever, chills, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea."
Dr. Smith advises you to read the labels and make sure the food is cooked at the appropriate temperature, but you may also want to check the food before you put in your mouth.
Pruitt adds, "I think each microwave does it differently and mine is an older microwave so maybe if I had relied on the three minutes it said I might have had some problems."
According to Dr. Smith, when it comes to those quick meals, the preparation comes before you even open the box.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement