You may have heard today that Jennie-O Turkey Store is recalling about 91,000 pounds of ground turkey because of an issue with Salmonella.
I’ve seen varied consumer responses to this recall – from panic-mode to completely silly to common sense. (I track social media stories and comments for my job as communications director for the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association.)
- “Guess I’ll switch to ham.”
- “Maybe going vegan is the answer?”
- “There seems to be so many recalls!”
- “Just cook your raw poultry!”
Here’s why recalls don’t freak me out — and why I don’t think you should panic when you see a clickbait headline screaming “turkey is contaminated with salmonella!”
- Salmonella naturally occurs in a variety of meats, poultry, fruits and vegetables. (So if you think eating only a plant-based diet is the answer, think again.)
- Properly cooking your meat and poultry will kill Salmonella (and other bacteria). End of story. (Likewise, wash your fruits and vegetables, too.) Keep reading below for my tip on a cheap and perfectly serviceable meat thermometer.
- The U.S. has the safest food supply in the world. Recalls don’t mean all the food we eat is unsafe or that food companies are lax or even “out to get consumers.” It means our food industry – including our partnering government agencies – are doing a good job of finding issues when they arise and are getting contaminated food products off the store shelves as needed and as quickly as possible.
You all know I work closely with the turkey industry. Because of that, I can tell you with complete confidence that turkey farmers work closely with each other, and their partners in the federal government, to aggressively tackle any food safety issues as they arise.
Turkey farmers and those who work for turkey companies eat the same turkey products you do. No one wants to get sick – or to produce an unsafe food product for the marketplace.
And guess what? You play a role in food safety too!
What can you do to properly and safely handle your turkey? Whether you’re planning your Thanksgiving meal next week or looking ahead to anytime you cook with turkey, here are my tips:
- Cook in a clean kitchen. (Seems reasonable, right?) And\ never forget to wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds and ensure surfaces are clean both before and after coming in contact with raw poultry.
- Keep raw meat and poultry separate from other food items – that means separate cutting boards and knives (or at the very least, wash with hot soapy water between uses).
- Cook your turkey to 165 degrees F. Easy-to-use meat thermometers are plentiful these days so no excuses! (And you don’t have to pay a lot of money for a decent meat thermometer that works. I spent about $6 on this digital thermometer on Amazon that is my go-to every time I cook meat or poultry.)
- Chill leftovers within 2 hours — and yes, re-heat that gravy, stuffing, and leftover turkey to 165 degrees F. Leftovers are good for about 4 days so eat up!
Did you know? Never rinse your turkey, or any meat or poultry, as that can spread bacteria that might be present around the kitchen.
You can also watch and share this 90-second video:
By following the tips in the video and my steps above, it’s easy to eliminate Salmonella and other potentially harmful bacteria through common sense preparation and handling of meat and poultry products.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask in the comment section below or find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@mngobblegal).
Happy pre-Turkey Day weekend, everyone!
Lara