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As we celebrate Thanksgiving, many of us will be preparing and serving home cooked meals. With that in mind, here are some food safety tips to be aware of.

Greene County Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist Ann Parker says to properly cook a turkey, the internal temperature must be at least 165-degrees. For cooking a ham, Parker recommends a temperature of 145-degrees. As for preparing different kinds of foods, Parker has some tips to prevent people from getting sick.

“Make sure they’re doing anything with raw meat, preparing or cutting up raw meat (keeping it), separate from anything they’re doing with produce or other food items, and always having clean utensils and cutting boards to be chopping up and preparing foods on. Making sure they are switching out those utensils or cutting boards, or cleaning them before they use them for another food.”

Parker notes another way to prevent cross-contamination is to constantly wash your hands when handling different foods.