According to the National Turkey Federation, about 46 million turkeys will be the main entrée this year at Thanksgiving Day dinners across the United States. To keep this family meal a healthy and pleasant memory for all, make sure your turkey is prepared safely and properly to prevent Salmonella and other bacterial foodborne diseases. Thaw a frozen turkey in your refrigerator, in cold water or in a microwave oven, and not at room temperature, then cook the turkey immediately after thawing.

The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) has issued 4 critical turkey preparation tips called "Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill" in order to help prevent Salmonella and other foodborne infections at Thanksgiving:

• Before and after you handle food, wash your hands with plenty of soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Also wash any surfaces or utensils that come into contact with raw poultry including cutting boards, kitchen counters and other food preparation objects.

• Use separate cutting boards, knives and utensils for preparing raw poultry and for foods that will not be subsequently cooked such as salads and vegetables. 

• Use a meat thermometer to make sure that all parts of the turkey and any stuffing reach an internal temperature of at least 165 °F.

• Refrigerate any leftover foods after 2 hours. Make sure your refrigerator is set at 40 °F or below to prevent bacteria from growing on food.

For more information about proper preparation of turkey and other foods, see the USDA’s Be Food Safe campaign Web site or read our previous blog about healthy eating tips during Thanksgiving.

If you have a tip for healthy Thanksgiving, please share it with the Healia Health Community.

_{Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Web site}

_{Photo:bucklava, Flickr, Creative Commons}