ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - Many of us are hurrying to finalize Thanksgiving meal preparations.

But in all the rush, one thing you cannot afford to lose sight of is the following property food safety procedures.

Rebecca Manville, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, with the Dougherty County Extension Service, offered some advice about meal preparation and food safety.

If you have not thawed your turkey, don’t panic. The best way to thaw it is in the refrigerator, so you keep it at a safe temperature the whole time. If you have not already started thawing in the refrigerator, you have two options:

• Put the turkey in cold water while keeping it in the original packaging. Refill it with fresh cold water every 30 minutes to prevent bacterial growth.
• Thaw it in the microwave. For every pound, you’ll do around six minutes. To avoid cooking the turkey, be sure to continuously rotate it.

After using those methods, you’ll cook the meat right away.

Officials say the turkey needs to cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Before you remove it from the oven, make sure you check it with a meat thermometer in three specific areas. When checking to see if your meat is done, be sure to check the breast, the wing, and the thigh. Those places can often be undercooked.

Some things to remember for ensuring that you have a safe holiday dinner are:

• Use a meat thermometer, and never go by feel or color.
• Use separate cutting boards for raw meats.
• Do not leave cooked food out for more than two hours.
• Always remember to wash your hands often.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Copyright 2025 WALB. All rights reserved.