In the lead-up to Thanksgiving, health officials are renewing advice to avoid common food safety mistakes that could ruin your holiday.
The kitchen ahead of a holiday is full of vegetables, stuffing, gravy and of course, turkey. As delicious as each one is, they all pose a threat of food-borne illness.
And while it is essential to rinse greens and cranberries, washing off other parts of the meal may do more harm than good.
Despite what the family recipe might say, experts urge you to not rinse your turkey because it can spread harmful germs to your sink, countertops, surrounding cookware and even yourself.
Health experts say turkeys should never be washed unless they’ve been brined or soaked in a salt water solution for at least 24 hours.
The recommendation against rinsing poultry by federal health agencies has existed since 2005, but if generations of your family have been doing it for as long as you can remember, it might be a tough habit to break.
According to the Department of Agriculture, many consumers think washing their turkeys will remove bacteria and reduce the risk of food-borne illness.
‘However, it’s virtually impossible to wash bacteria off the bird. Instead, juices that splash during washing can transfer bacteria onto the surfaces of your kitchen, other foods and utensils,’ the USDA said.
Rather than rinsing your turkey first, simply pat it dry with clean paper towels. Cooking it to an internal temperature of 165 degrees will kill off harmful bacteria like E. coli and salmonella
A healthy bird naturally has bacteria in its gut and on its skin that could be harmful to humans, including Salmonella, Campylobacter, Clostridium perfringens, Listeria, E. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus.
Around 48 million people get sick with these and other food-borne pathogens a year, and 128,000 people are hospitalized, suffering from violent vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and fevers.
This holiday, the only surefire way to make your meal safe to eat is to cook the turkey to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
If you do decide to rinse your turkey, immediately sanitize the sink and surrounding area with a solution of 1 tablespoon unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water.
Still, even the most rigorous of cleaning routines is not 100 percent effective at killing dangerous germs.
A study by the USDA reported 60 percent of people who rinsed their raw poultry had bacteria in their sink after cleaning it.
Moreover, one in seven people still had bacteria in their sinks even after sanitizing them.
Despite the cross-contamination risk, though, around 78 percent of Americans celebrating Thanksgiving report rinsing their turkeys before cooking them.
Dr Mindy Brashears, the USDA’s Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety, said: ‘Even when consumers think they are effectively cleaning after washing poultry, this study shows that bacteria can easily spread to other surfaces and foods. The best practice is not to wash poultry.’
Participants in a food safety study offered several reasons for rinsing their birds. One of the most common was that this step in the preparation process has been handed down as standard practice for years.
One said: ‘My grandmother taught me that. She just said to wash all your food because there’s no telling where it’s been before it got in the pack.’
Another said: ‘If it’s still slimy [from bacteria] — I’m not sure what that is. It just feels good to wash it.’
Experts and federal health agencies have stated that washing meat before cooking it, overfilling the fridge and storing meat in shallow dishes can lead to food poisoning
Drusilla Banks, who teaches food sanitation for the University of Illinois Extension, told the Associated Press: ‘If your mother did it and your grandmother did it, and suddenly the [government] says not to wash your turkey, you may take some time to adjust.’
The safest way to prepare your turkey is to heat the oven to at least 325 degrees and cook it for at least two and a half hours, or however long it takes for the temperature in the thickest part of the bird to reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Properly cooking the turkey may be the most important Thanksgiving food safety measure, but experts recommend several other steps to prevent food poisoning.
Rather than thawing the turkey on the counter, food safety experts recommend allowing roughly 24 hours for every four to five pounds of turkey. Once it thaws, it can stay in the fridge for one to two days.
Health experts recommend patting the outside and cavity of the bird with clean paper towels to absorb excess moisture.
Wash your hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling the raw turkey.
Carmen Rottenberg of USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said: ‘Everyone has a role to play in preventing illness from food. Please keep in mind that children, older adults, and those with compromised immune systems are especially at risk.
‘Washing or rinsing raw meat and poultry can increase your risk as bacteria spreads around your kitchen, but not washing your hands for 20 seconds immediately after handling those raw foods is just as dangerous.’
Food safety experts also urge home chefs to rethink cooking their stuffing inside the cavity of the bird, which can contaminate the food.
The turkey and stuffing may also cook at different rates, often leaving the stuffing uncooked and unsafe to eat by the time the turkey is ready.
When it comes to the leftovers, they should be stored within two hours of cooking. Use shallow containers so the food cools quickly and gives bacteria less time to multiply.
Bacteria can multiply to dangerous levels if perishables, like turkey, are left in the temperature danger zone (between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F) for too long.
Experts also recommend against overfilling the fridge, especially around the turkey, which could leak pathogens into other foods nearby.
