Several types of food will once again be gracing dinner tables this Noche Buena. However, experts remind the public to be cautious of sanitary practices during food preparation, as neglect may lead to poisoning.

Ham is a favorite delicacy this season. Known as the star of the “Noche Buena,” it has been one of the more consistently served dishes during the occasion. However, experts say undercooked or improperly cooked ham can hide unwanted microorganisms.

“Galing yan sa raw na meat so kapag hindi siya properly cooked, doon siya macocontaminate (Ham comes from raw meat. An improperly cooked meat may still be contaminated by bacteria),” said microbiologist Dr. Pierangeli Vital.

According to experts, Salmonella can contaminate ham and other raw meat products. Salmonella is a type of bacteria which can cause gastrointestinal disease, which can lead to nausea, vomiting, or even bloody diarrhea.

Feast favorites such as lechon or sisig, as they are pork products, can also be contaminated by Salmonella if not cooked thoroughly, experts said.

Another favorite dish during Noche Buena is cheese. As it is a milk product, cheese is highly susceptible to contamination by bacteria E.coli and Staphylococcus, experts said. E. coli and Staphylococcus may cause gastrointestinal disorders in humans.

Besides high susceptibility during production, cheese is also prone to contamination when improperly handled. Touching it with contaminated hands can cause cross contamination of bacteria.

Experts added, whereas some cheeses are made of edible molds or fungi, some types are not, and ingesting them may be harmful.

“'Yung ordinary lang na cheese, hindi yun ginagamitan ng fungi, so kapag nakakita kayo ng itim o asul na may mga spots dun sa cheese, hindi na yun pwede kainin (Fungi is not used on ordinary cheese. If you a spot a black or blue mark on your cheese, it is not edible),” Vital said.

Some molds and fungi are capable of producing mycotoxins which can be harmful to huma