By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News

When Thanksgiving time rolls around, people think more of the food and not always the food safety, so Donnie Simmons from the Livingston County Public Health Department stopped by to talk about those important tips.

One big one he mentioned was is it ok to leave food out after a meal for people to snack on?  He said it was ok, but there are some rules that need to be followed.

“It depends on the food. Things that need to be refrigerated should be put in as quickly as possible. If you’re not going to do that and want to graze, what I would recommend is if you want to leave it on the counter for people to eat, fine, do that, let it sit there for up to four hours, but at that time, throw it away. Do not put it in the refrigerator,” Simmons said.

Simmons was a guest on a recent community forum, where he talks turkey prep, hand and utensil washing and other ways to keep family and friends safe during the holiday season. That can be found at wjez.com.