A turkey salmonella outbreak just before Thanksgiving in 2018 helped shape food safety efforts underway today aimed at limiting risks linked to the holiday meal’s big star.
In the end, inspectors uncovered over 350 cases linked to the outbreak, including at least 12 cases in New York. The incident prompted a push to strengthen oversight of all parts of the food supply chain, including slaughter and processing facilities and upstream farm sources. Public health agencies and industry players were also urged to increase consumer education about food safety, federal records show.
The USA TODAY Network has since covered the ongoing effort to keep our food supply safer, including the recent series exploring inspections of grocery stores across New York. What follows are key tips from state and federal public health officials for safely handling your turkey.
How to thaw a turkey safely?
Defrosting a turkey should be done in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. The safest method for thawing food is the refrigerator because the turkey will defrost at a consistent, safe temperature. It takes 24 hours for every five pounds for a turkey to thaw in the refrigerator.
To thaw in cold water, submerge the bird in its original wrapper in cold tap water, changing the water every 30 minutes. If using a microwave, check the manual for specific directions as they may vary depending on the unit. If you use the microwave, cook the turkey immediately afterwards.
Never thaw your turkey by leaving it out on the counter. When a turkey stays out at room temperature for more than two hours, its temperature becomes unsafe even if the center is still frozen. Germs can grow rapidly in the “danger zone” between 40°F and 140°F.
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Should I wash the turkey?
Washing raw turkey can spread germs to other food. Federal agencies have recommended not washing turkey or chicken since 2005. But a 2020 survey found that 78% of participants reported washing or rinsing turkey before cooking.
Old recipes and family cooking traditions may tell you to keep this practice going, but it can make you and your family sick, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Poultry juice can spread in the kitchen and contaminate other foods, utensils, and countertops.
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If you decide to wash raw turkey, immediately clean and thoroughly sanitize the sink and surrounding area. A USDA study found that 1 in 7 people who cleaned their sink after washing chicken still had germs in the sink.
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Is pink turkey meat safe to eat?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture noted the color pink in cooked turkey meat raises a “red flag” to many diners and cooks. But it added that red flag is somewhat misguided and conflates turkey risks with other meats, such as fresh pork that should not be eaten if pink.
Put differently, the agency said, “the color of cooked poultry is not always a sure sign of its safety.”
The only way to determine if turkey is safe to eat is by using a food thermometer, the agency noted, adding turkey must reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 Fahrenheit throughout the product. Further, turkey can remain pink even after cooking to a safe temperature, and the meat of smoked turkey is always pink.
For further tips for safely handling turkey, visit the state Health Department’s website, at health.ny.gov.
Includes reporting by Thomas C. Zambito of USA TODAY Network.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: What’s a safe temperature for Thanksgiving turkey? Other turkey tips
