A reminder of some food safety tips as we head into the holiday season.

When working with raw meat or poultry, washing the food before cooking it is not recommended because bacteria can easily be washed off and splashed onto surfaces in the kitchen, causing cross contamination.

Poultry should always be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees and perishable food items should not be left out at room temperature for more than two hours.

And as far as those leftovers go… you shouldn’t keep them in the refrigerator for more than 3-4 days.