When you're making fancy food this festive season forget about aioli.
The Food Safety Information Council (FSIC) is advising people to buy commercially made aioli and mayonnaise this summer to avoid food poisoning.
"It is better not to make these things yourself because there are issues associated with the eggs," says FSIC spokeswoman Rachelle Williams.
Recipes for the creamy condiments include raw eggs, which can carry potentially deadly salmonella bacteria.
Salmonella food poisoning can cause severe vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and abdominal cramps. In people with weaker immune systems or in young children and the elderly it can be fatal.
As the temperatures rise over the next three months, so will the number of food poisoning cases in Australia.
"The hotter the day, the increase in bacteria activity," Ms Williams said.
Ideally, people should ditch the apron and buy their aioli or mayonnaise from a commercial business with a good reputation.
There are an estimated 4.1 million reported cases of food poisoning in Australia each year or the equivalent of one in six of us.
Ms Williams says the good news is it can be avoided buy following food safety rules.
"The most important thing everybody can do to stop or reduce the likelihood of food poisoning is good hand washing.
"The basic rule is the 20/20 rule: you wash your hands for 20 seconds and you dry for 20 seconds," she said.
