The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is offering Thanksgiving turkey food safety tips, especially about your holiday turkey. This year, a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Reading has sickened at least 164 people in 35 states, hospitalized 63 of those patients, and killed one person in California. The statement says, "Food handling errors and inadequate cooing are the most common problems that lead to poultry-associated foodborne disease outbreaks in the United States." You need to know that most poultry products sold in this country are contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. For instance, Consumer Reports found that 97% of the chicken breasts they purchased were contaminated. So it's up to the consumer to protect himself. Here are the Thanksgiving food safety steps you … [Read more...]
Salmonella Reading Outbreak Linked to Raw Turkey Turns Deadly; Some May Sue
The CDC has updated its investigation of the multistate outbreak of Salmonella Reading infections that are linked to raw turkey products. One person in California has died. And 74 more ill persons were reported, bringing the total to 164 in 35 states. The last update on this outbreak was issued on July 19, 2018. The case count by state is: Alaska (1), Arizona (1)< California (13), Colorado (6), Connecticut (3), Delaware (1), Florida (7), Georgia (2), Hawaii (1), Idaho (1), Iowa (3), Illinois (16), Indiana (3), Kansas (1), Kentucky (1), Maryland (3), Massachusetts (3), Michigan (6), Minnesota (17), Missouri (1), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (8), New York (12), North Carolina (7), North Dakota (2), Ohio (5), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (2), Pennsylvania (8), South Carolina (1), South Dakota … [Read more...]
Salmonella Reading Outbreak Linked to Raw Turkey Products Sickens 90; Lawsuits Possible
A Salmonella Reading outbreak that has sickened 90 people in 26 states has just been announced by the CDC. The outbreak is linked to raw turkey parts from a variety of sources. Forty people are hospitalized because they are so ill, which is a very high percentage. A single, common supplier of raw turkey products or of live turkeys hasn't been identified in this Salmonella Reading outbreak, which is similar to the E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce that sickened 210 people earlier this year. No single source was found for that outbreak, but canal water in the Yuma, Arizona region did contain the outbreak strain of E. coli. The case count by state is: Alaska (1), California (6), Colorado (3), Florida (4), Georgia (2), Hawaii a(1), Iowa (2), Illinois (9), Indiana (3), Kansas … [Read more...]
How to Cook Thanksgiving Turkey the Safe Way
Foodsafety.gov is offering tips on how to cook Thanksgiving turkey. This bird is the centerpiece of most holiday dinners in America today. Cooking it thoroughly to a safe final internal temperature is crucial to keep you and your family safe. Turkeys, like chickens, can have Salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria on their skin. They must be carefully handled and completely cooked to prevent foodborne illness. First, never rinse the turkey. That step aerosolizes bacteria on the bird and spreads it around your kitchen. Just pat the turkey dry. The easiest way is to put a completely thawed unstuffed turkey into a roasting pan, set the oven to 325°F, and let it cook. Test it with a food thermometer after 3 hours, which is how long an 8 to 12 pound bird should cook. The larger the … [Read more...]
Thanksgiving Meal Food Safety Tips From the Experts
The Thanksgiving meal is the largest one most people prepare and serve every year. To make sure that your Thanksgiving dinner is wholesome and safe, Foodsafety.gov is offering tips. The turkey is the centerpiece of the meal, and it should be handled and cooked properly to make sure it is safe to eat. First, read labels carefully when you buy the bird. The label will tell you whether the bird is fresh or frozen. If you want to serve a fresh turkey at your Thanksgiving meal, buy it no more than two days before the meal. You should have two thermometers in your kitchen; one in the fridge to make sure that the turkey is stored at 40°F or below, and another to make sure the cooked turkey reaches 165°F, the safe final internal temperatures. Remember that the color of the meat is not a … [Read more...]
Researchers Discover How Ground Turkey is Contaminated with Salmonella
Researchers at the University of Georgia's Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center have discovered how ground turkey may become contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. They have found that Salmonella on the bird's skin may be a "significant contributor to ground turkey contamination." Turkey skin is often used as a source of fat when manufacturers make ground turkey since the muscles are so lean. The study was presented at the 2017 annual meeting of the American Association of Avian Pathologists. That meeting was held in the summer of 2017. Scientist have believed that cross-contamination with fecal material on the turkeys during processing was the main cause of Salmonella contamination in ground turkey. An earlier study published in the Journal of Food Protection in May 2016 found … [Read more...]
Safe Turkey Handling Tips for a Happy Thanksgiving
The folks at Holiday Food Safety are offering tips for handling your turkey safely for a happy Thanksgiving. The Partnership for Food Safety Education includes the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Institute of Food Technology, and other organizations. Before you buy the turkey, make sure you have room for it in your fridge. Always store the turkey in a large pan so raw juices don't drip and contaminate other foods. If you buy a frozen turkey, make sure you leave enough time for it to thaw. It takes about 24 hours for every four to five pounds to thaw in the fridge, so by now it's too late. But you can cook your turkey from the frozen state! Always wash your hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling the raw turkey. Never ever defrost the turkey on … [Read more...]
Turkey Federation: Consumer Reports Article “Misleading”
The National Turkey Federation (NTF) is disputing claims in a study published in Consumer Reports this week that more than half of raw ground turkey and raw ground turkey patties sold at grocery stores throughout the U.S. tested positive for fecal bacteria. The group, which advocates on behalf of the $29.5 billion turkey industry, posted a statement on its website taking issue with some of the claims. "The National Turkey Federation (NTF) strongly disputes the misleading findings of a Consumer Reports article about ground turkey, which makes a number of alarming claims based on an extremely small sampling of ground turkey products," the statement begins. It then lists four points, the first of which is that generic E. coli is not considered a source of foodborne illness. That … [Read more...]
Consumer Reports Finds Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria on Ground Turkey
An investigation by Consumer Reports has found that more than half of raw ground turkey meat and patties sold at retail stores in the U.S. tested positive for fecal bacteria. Ninety percent of all samples tested had one or more of the five bacteria the organization tested for, including Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, and Campylobacter. In addition, almost all of the pathogens were resistant to one or more of the antibiotics used to fight them. This, once again, raises the alarm about giving factory farmed animals sub therapeutic doses of antibiotics to encourage growth and prevent illness. The study found that 69% of ground turkey had Enterococcus, and 60% had E. coli, the two bacteria associated with fecal contamination. More than half of the E. … [Read more...]
