Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and outside of gathering with family and friends, the main focus of the holiday is food. And as you celebrate, make sure you follow food safety protocols to ensure you and your family don’t get sick. From the grocery store to the dinner table, make sure to practice safety throughout the entire meal preparation and serving.

“When you are entertaining large groups of friends and family over the holiday, remember some of the same food preparation tips we offer to restaurants and other establishments,” says Dr. Brandon Leftwich, Director of Environmental Health at the Fulton County Board of Health.

Starting with the main entrée of the day, the Thanksgiving turkey:

• While at the grocery store, make sure the turkey you choose is in good condition ensuring there are no rips in the packaging.
• For frozen turkeys, the thawing process will depend on how much your turkey weighs. According to the USDA, when thawing in a refrigerator, allow roughly 24 hours for every four to five pounds and when thawing in cold water, allow for about 30 minutes per pound.
• Once thawed, cook the turkey immediately or keep refrigerated. And remember that raw poultry may contain bacteria which can cause foodborne illnesses, so be sure to clean and sanitize any surfaces that encounter the raw turkey or its juices.
• There are many ways to cook a turkey, but make sure that whichever method you choose, it reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit, as measured by a food thermometer. And if you’re stuffing your turkey, the stuffing must also reach the same temperature in the center to be considered fully cooked.

Now that we made it past the cooking part, it’s time to serve the turkey and the rest of the food.

• Always wash your hands for 20 seconds using soap and water before and after handling food.
• Use utensils when handling cooked foods.
• When serving food, keep hot food hot and cold food cold. This will help prevent harmful bacteria from forming on any food. You can do so by serving them in warming trays, slow cookers, or leaving dishes on ice.

We tend to like to keep leftovers after the Thanksgiving feast but be careful:

• For leftovers, be sure to throw away any food that has sat out for more than two hours at room temperature.
• Portion leftovers into smaller containers so food can cool evenly and quickly.
• Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for three to four days.
• If you choose to freeze any leftovers, it’s best to eat them within two to six months.

Follow these safety measures so you and your family will hopefully be able to enjoy Thanksgiving without any major foodborne illnesses.

The Fulton County Board of Health provides a variety of services that help protect residents from health threats, increase access to health services to improve health outcomes, and provide information that assists Fulton County citizens in living healthier lives. For more information on the Fulton County Board of Health, visit http://www.fultoncountyboh.com.