Every year in the U.S., an estimated 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die from food-borne illnesses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms, which typically include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, can range from mild to severe.

Contamination can occur at any point during the food production chain, from farm to kitchen to table, TODAY previously reported, and a lot of the time, it’s out of the consumer’s control.

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But people also make simple mistakes while handling, cooking and storing food that increase the risk of food poisoning, according to Robert Gravani, Ph.D., professor emertitus of food science at Cornell University. Gravani shares some of the most common and risky food safety mistakes, how to avoid them and how to protect yourself and loved ones.

Read more: Today