I just finished renewing my ServSafe course certification, which needs to be done every five years. This is a national course educating about food safety risks facing a food operation.

One of the topics is proper time and temperature of refrigerated and frozen foods. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I want to share the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention food safety tips for your holiday turkey.

Many people do not thaw or cook the turkey properly and end up making a trip to the emergency room.

All of the following information is directly from the CDC’s website, cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/holiday-turkey.html. This will also give you the proper cooking times for a stuffed or unstuffed turkey.

Handling poultry incorrectly and undercooking it are the most common problems leading to foodborne disease outbreaks linked to poultry. Follow these four tips to help you safely prepare your next turkey meal.

• Thaw your turkey safely in a container in the refrigerator, in a leakproof plastic bag in a sink of cold water (change the water every 30 minutes) or in the microwave, following the microwave oven manufacturer’s instructions. Never thaw your turkey by leaving it out on the counter. A thawing turkey must defrost at a safe temperature. When the turkey is left out at room temperature for more than two hours, its temperature becomes unsafe. Bacteria can grow rapidly between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Handle your turkey the right way. Raw poultry can contaminate anything it touches with harmful bacteria. Follow the four steps to food safety - clean, separate, cook and chill - to prevent the spread of bacteria to your food, family and friends.

• Cook stuffing thoroughly. Cooking stuffing separately from the turkey in a casserole dish makes it easy to be sure it is thoroughly cooked. If you cook stuffing in the turkey, put the stuffing in the turkey just before cooking. With either cooking method, use a food thermometer to make sure the stuffing’s center reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Bacteria can survive in stuffing that has not reached that temperature and may cause food poisoning. If you cook stuffing in the turkey, wait 20 minutes after taking the bird out of the oven before removing the stuffing. This allows it to cook a little more. Learn more about how to prepare stuffing at tinyurl.com/y5t4brgs.

• Cook your turkey thoroughly. Set the oven temperature to at least 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the completely thawed turkey in a roasting pan that is 2 to 2-and-a-half inches deep. Cooking times will vary depending on the weight of the turkey. Use a food thermometer to make sure the turkey has reached a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Check by inserting a food thermometer into the center of the stuffing and the thickest portions of the breast, thigh and wing joints. Even if your turkey has a pop-up temperature indicator, you should still use a food thermometer to check that it is safely cooked. Let the turkey stand 20 minutes before removing all stuffing from the cavity and carving the meat.

The bacteria Clostridium perfringens grows in cooked foods left at room temperature. It is the second most common bacterial cause of food poisoning. The major symptoms are vomiting and abdominal cramps within six to 24 hours after eating.

Clostridium perfringens outbreaks occur most often in November and December. Many of these outbreaks have been linked to foods commonly served during the holidays, such as turkey and roast beef.

Refrigerate leftovers at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder as soon as possible and within two hours of preparation to prevent food poisoning. Slice or divide big cuts of meat, such as a roast turkey, into small quantities for refrigeration, so they will cool quickly. Reheat all leftovers to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit before serving.