The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers some simple steps to avoid food-borne illness during the Thanksgiving holiday.
There are four steps to keep in mind when it comes to food safety, according to a USDA news release. Those steps are clean, separate, cook and chill.
BE SANITARY
Clean and sanitize any surfaces that have touched raw turkey and its juices and will later touch food, such as kitchen counters, sinks, stoves, tabletops, etc.
DON’T CROSS-CONTAMINATE
Avoid cross-contamination by using separate cutting boards — one for raw meat and poultry, and another for fruits and vegetables.
BE CAREFUL WHEN THAWING TURKEY
There are three ways to safely thaw a turkey: in the refrigerator, in cold water and in the microwave.
To thaw in the refrigerator: Allow roughly 24 hours for every four pounds to five pounds of turkey. After thawing, a turkey is safe in a refrigerator for one to two days.
To thaw in a cold-water bath: Allow 30 minutes per pound and submerge the turkey in its original wrapping to avoid cross-contamination. Change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. The turkey must be cooked immediately after thawing.
To thaw in a microwave: Follow manufacturer’s recommendations. Cook it immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during the thawing process.
BE SURE YOUR TURKEY IS COOKED PROPERLY
Cook your turkey thoroughly. It is safe to eat once it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. To check the internal temperature, insert a food thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the wing and the innermost part of the thigh.
The USDA recommends using a food thermometer even if the turkey has a pop-up temperature indicator to ensure it has reached 165 F in the three previously stated places.
IF YOU’RE GOING TO STUFF YOUR BIRDThe USDA recommends against stuffing your turkey since this often leads to bacteria growth.
However, if you plan to stuff your turkey, follow these steps:
Prepare the wet and dry ingredients for the stuffing separately from each other and refrigerate until ready to use. Mix wet and dry ingredients just before filling the bird’s cavity.
Do not stuff whole poultry and leave in the refrigerator before cooking.
Stuff the turkey loosely — about 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound.
Immediately place the stuffed, raw turkey in an oven set no lower than 325 F. Keep in mind that it will take longer to cook a stuffed turkey. To be sure it cooked, place a food thermometer in the center of the stuffing to ensure it has reached an internal temperature of 165 F.
Also, wait 20 minutes before serving the cooked turkey.
KEEP FOOD SAFE, BEFORE AND WHILE SERVING
Don’t leave your food sitting out too long! Refrigerate all perishable foods sitting out at room temperature within two hours of being cooked, or one hour if the temperature is 90 F or above. After two hours, perishable food will enter the danger zone, between 40 F and 140 F, which is where bacteria can multiply quickly and cause the food to become unsafe.
Discard all foods that have been left out for more than two hours. Remember this rule: Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
When transporting hot foods: Wrap dishes in insulated containers to keep their temperature above 140 F.
When transporting cold foods: Place items in a cooler with ice or gel packs to keep them at or below 40 F.
When serving to groups: Keep hot food hot and keep cold food cold by using chafing dishes or crockpots and ice trays. Hot items should remain above 140 F and cold items should remain below 40 F.
KEEP LEFTOVERS SAFE
Store leftovers in small shallow containers and put them in the refrigerator. Thanksgiving leftovers are safe to eat up to four days after refrigeration. In the freezer, leftovers are safely frozen indefinitely but will keep best quality from two months to six months.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For Thanksgiving food safety questions, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854), email , or chat live at Ask.usda.gov from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
Do you have any last-minute turkey day questions? The Meat and Poultry Hotline will be open on Thanksgiving Day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Published November 23, 2022
