ConAgra Foods and the American Dietetic Assn. offer these safety tips for food preparation during the holidays:

• Use disposable cutting sheets by Saran Wrap to avoid cross-contaminating surfaces when prepping food. Using the disposable sheets allows you to start off with a clean surface for each food you prepare.
• If using cutting boards, use one board for raw meats and another for vegetables. Boards should be washed in hot soapy water between uses. Discard old boards with cracks and excessive knife scars.
• Wash hands often; use paper towels instead of rags and dish towels to dry your hands or wipe up spills. Dish towels can soak up and spread bacteria.
• Also reduce the spread of bacteria by thawing foods in the refrigerator. Never leave food at room temperature for longer than two hours.
• When replacing foods on serving trays at parties, don’t just add more to a dish that has been sitting for a while. Replace with a clean dish and fresh food.
• To get an accurate reading using a thermometer in red meats, insert into center of thickest part of meat away from bone, fat and gristle; for poultry, insert in inner thigh near breast but not touching the bone; for ground meat, insert in thickest part of patty; in egg dishes or casseroles, also insert in thickest area of dish.