By Neil Doyle

The holidays are in full swing and the Livingston County Health Public Health Department is offering tips to avoid food-borne illnesses.

Director of Environmental Health Donnie Simmons tells WJEZ’s Todd Wineburner with turkeys being popular this time of year, the best way to thaw a frozen turkey is in the refrigerator.  Simmons advises not leaving the bird to thaw on the counter.

There are plenty of ways to cook a turkey, but Simmons said regardless of the cooking method the internal temperature of the bird should reach 165 degrees.

Avoiding cross-contamination is another big factor to not get sick.

“You need to make sure when handling the raw turkey anything that comes in contact with the juices or the turkey itself is kept separate from other food products,” said Simmons.

More food safety tips can be found at www.lchd.us. You can hear the complete conversation with Donnie Simmons by clicking on the podcasts link at the top of the page.

Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]