Thanksgiving Food Safety Tips Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control: Make the holiday meal memorable – and tasty – by following CDC’s tips to safely prepare and cook your Thanksgiving turkey The CDC feature (also in Spanish) guides you through the key steps of serving a safe feast for family, guests and friends. If you don’t have a food thermometer at home, pick one up before Turkey Day, and use it to make sure foods have been cooked to a safe internal temperature.