Buffets are a popular way to celebrate the holidays. Pork, turkey, stuffing, and side dishes are all waiting for your loved ones to dig in. But if you leave foods outside for long periods, you’re inviting guests you don’t want at the party: foodborne bacteria that can cause illness. When you’ve had dishes or dips over several hours, with guests coming back for second servings, there’s plenty of time for bacteria to thrive and multiply.

Even before a buffet is set up, food that has been mishandled in preparation, or not cooked at sufficient temperatures, can also pose a risk.

So, while you might be familiar with food safety basics—keep food clean and hot (or cold)—even seasoned chefs can use refreshment during the holiday hosting season. Focus on the following four food safety rules:

1. Cleaning. Always wash your hands before and after eating. Make sure children’s hands are clean before they eat or line up at the buffet and after visiting the bathroom. Use hot, soapy water to clean cooking equipment, utensils, and kitchen surfaces, too.
2. Separated. Always keep meat separate from produce. You can also choose colored cutting boards and boards to ensure safe separation. At the party, watch the buffet as items start to run out. Instead of periodically placing a bowl of mashed potatoes, for example, replace it with a new one in a clean bowl. This way, there is no risk of mixing fresh foods with their potentially contaminated counterparts.
3. cooks. You can’t tell if meat is “cooked” by color only. Nor can you assume that a dish is safe to eat because it was cooked within the recommended time. You need to insert a food thermometer in the appropriate place on the bird, cut up, roast or pie. There are a variety of applications and charts to help. Simple Cheat Sheet: Beef, pork, lamb, veal, and chops must be warmed to 145 degrees before you take the meat out of the oven; minced meat, pork, lamb and veal should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees; Poultry should reach an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees.
4. Cold. Don’t leave food outside for more than two hours, and when it’s time to store leftovers, divide cooked foods into shallow bowls. (Food in large containers takes longer to cool.) Then put it in the refrigerator. Food that is cooled evenly and quickly reduces the chances of bacteria growth.

Unfortunately, you can’t rely on a smell test to determine if your holiday foods are safe to swallow. Food loaded with bacteria doesn’t necessarily look or smell unpleasant. So when in doubt, get rid of it. Keep hot and cold foods cold and remember that it is always better to be safe than to invite unwanted guests in the form of foodborne pathogens to your party.