Dont let salmonella be an uninvited guest at your Thanksgiving dinner. Heres what you can do to avoid illness.
As you plan Thanksgiving gatherings with family and friends, you should also prepare for one common uninvited guest: salmonella.
The bacterium is commonly found in poultry and eggs, and can quickly turn a delicious dinner spread into a disaster. About 26,000 people are hospitalized and 400 people die from foodborne salmonella illness annually, according to the CDC.
The best way to prevent illness from salmonella is to thaw your turkey properly, cook it thoroughly, and wash your hands and any kitchen surfaces that come into contact with raw meat.
But federal regulators and academic researchers say there’s more that can be done to reduce the likelihood of the bacterium making its way into your home in the first place.Advertisement
Salmonella is a concerning bacteria that can contaminate poultry including turkey, and cause foodborne illness. Around the holidays many families enjoy delicious turkey dinners. But with its popularity comes questions about salmonella risks. Can eating turkey make you sick? Here is an in-depth look at the facts about turkey and salmonella.
Can Raw Turkey Have Salmonella?
Yes, raw turkey can contain salmonella bacteria. Salmonella naturally occurs in the intestines of poultry, including turkeys When raw turkey comes into contact with foods, surfaces, utensils, or hands, it can spread salmonella contamination.
According to the CDC, handling raw turkey spreads salmonella more often than eating properly cooked turkey. Raw turkey, raw turkey pet food, and raw turkey parts like ground turkey are more likely to contain salmonella.
How Does Salmonella Get in Turkey?
Salmonella enters turkey flocks through various ways
- Contaminated feed or water
- Exposure to infected rodents or wild birds
- Contact with infected boots, tools, or equipment
- Spread from infected breeder flocks
Once salmonella contaminates a turkey flock, it easily spreads between birds. Then processing turkeys for meat can pass salmonella to equipment and other turkey products.
What Percentage of Raw Turkey Has Salmonella?
USDA testing finds salmonella in around 18% of ground turkey samples. Whole raw turkeys have lower salmonella rates of around 1-3%. But the bacteria can spread from the intestines to meat during processing.
Even turkeys from salmonella-monitored growers can pick up the bacteria at slaughterhouses. So consumers should handle all raw poultry as potentially contaminated.
Can You Get Salmonella from Eating Turkey?
Yes, you can get salmonella food poisoning from eating undercooked turkey. Consuming raw or “rare” turkey is especially dangerous.
Salmonella risks are higher with ground turkey than whole cuts. Bacteria on the surface can mix throughout ground meat.
If you eat turkey containing enough active salmonella, you may develop symptoms within 12-72 hours. Salmonella typically causes diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills lasting 4-7 days.
How to Cook Turkey Safely to Prevent Salmonella
Thorough cooking destroys salmonella bacteria in turkey. Use a food thermometer to check turkey reaches 165°F internal temperature. Whole turkey, turkey breasts, and thighs should reach 165°F. Cook ground turkey to 165°F as well.
Let turkey rest 3 minutes after removing from heat. The temperature should remain at 165°F or higher during resting time. Cook stuffing separately to 165°F.
Other tips for preventing salmonella from turkey:
- Refrigerate raw turkey at 40°F or below
- Thaw frozen turkey in the fridge, not at room temperature
- Avoid washing raw turkey, which can spread bacteria
- Use separate cutting boards, plates, utensils for raw turkey
- Wash hands before and after handling raw turkey
Properly cooking turkey to 165°F kills any salmonella present, so the meat is safe to eat. Leftovers should be refrigerated within 2 hours. Reheat leftovers to 165°F.
Can You Get Salmonella from Handling Raw Turkey?
Yes, you can get a salmonella infection from touching raw turkey. Salmonella on raw turkey can transfer to hands, then spreads to surfaces, foods, or other people.
Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching raw poultry. Avoid cross-contamination by keeping raw turkey away from ready-to-eat foods. Sanitize any items or surfaces raw turkey touches.
Symptoms of salmonella from handling turkey are the same as eating it: diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, nausea, and vomiting. See a doctor if severe symptoms last over 3 days.
Salmonella Outbreaks Linked to Turkey
CDC tracks salmonella outbreaks tied to various foods, including turkey. Several multistate outbreaks highlight turkey’s salmonella risks:
- 2011 ground turkey outbreak – 1 death, 136 illnesses from salmonella Heidelberg
- 2015 turkey products outbreak – 558 illnesses from salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:-
- 2018-2019 turkey outbreak – 358 illnesses from salmonella Reading
Proper handling, cooking, and refrigeration help protect against outbreak strains. The CDC continues monitoring illnesses and works with states to interview affected individuals.
Enjoy Turkey Safely
Salmonella bacteria can occasionally contaminate turkeys, but proper cooking destroys it. Follow food safety guidelines when storing, thawing, preparing, and cooking turkey. Using a food thermometer to check doneness helps prevent illness.
With safe handling and thorough cooking, you and your family can enjoy delicious turkey meals without worrying about salmonella risks. Just remember to take steps to prevent cross-contamination from raw poultry. Then you can celebrate holidays with turkey free of food safety concerns.
Why does poultry have salmonella?
“The main problem with most salmonella is the birds are colonized with it. … You’d never know because they don’t get sick,” said Timothy Johnson, a professor of microbiology at the University of Minnesota’s department of veterinary and biomedical sciences. “You can try to control for it, but the real problem becomes once it enters a facility, it’s really difficult to eliminate.”
A key first step to stop salmonella from making people sick is understanding what strains are most common.
A recent study by the CDC found that certain “serotypes” or strains of salmonella were more common than others among Thanksgiving turkeys. CDC researchers analyzed data from about 846,450 salmonella cases reported between 1998 and 2018 and found that the Reading strain of salmonella was most commonly associated with turkey.
“There are many different types of salmonella‚” said Farrell A. Tobolowsky, a medical epidemiologist with the CDC and the study’s lead author. “They can behave differently — when and where people get sick, how sick they get, and what other foods they’re in. Some types are found in only one type of animal.” By linking specific serotypes and animals, regulators can better anticipate where they may find salmonella.
Salmonella can spread among animals several ways. Often it is passed from an infected bird to its offspring. The bacteria can come into birds’ environment through feed or nesting materials, Johnson said.
Farms and meat processing facilities are required to submit samples for salmonella testing by the Food and Drug Administration. The agency has tightened regulations in an effort to reduce the number of infected meat products that make it to consumers’ dinner tables.
But more testing isn’t necessarily the answer, Johnson said.
“Zero tolerance for salmonella — that sounds great, but it’s really unrealistic because salmonella is a natural colonizer of poultry,” he said. “To ask a producer to be completely salmonella-free, it would be very problematic for our meat supply.”
Rather than testing whether a meat sample contains salmonella, regulators should focus on how much salmonella is present. Research has shown that trace amounts do not typically make people sick; it’s high levels of salmonella that are the real danger to humans, he said.
Johnson and his colleagues are working to help develop new guidelines for salmonella testing, but in the meantime, your best bet is to cook that bird until it’s golden brown and sizzling inside.
How to prevent salmonella illness at Thanksgiving
Here are the CDC’s tips:
- Thaw turkey in the refrigerator or in a sink of cold water. Do not thaw turkey on a kitchen counter because if meat is left at room temperature for more than two hours, bacteria can begin to grow more quickly.
- Use separate cutting boards and platters for raw turkey, and thoroughly wash any dishes, utensils, and surfaces that come in contact with raw meat.
- Wash your hands with soap before and after handling raw turkey.
- Cook turkey to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t rely on the pop-up temperature indicator that comes with many turkeys — use a meat thermometer. Cooking time will depend on the size of your turkey, but set the oven to at least 325 degrees Fahrenheit, use a roasting pan that’s at least two inches deep, and don’t put the turkey in the oven until it is completely thawed.
- Don’t forget the stuffing. If you cook it inside the turkey, make sure stuffing is also cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Minimize the risk of salmonella in your stuffing by cooking it separate from the bird.
Salmonella a risk in Thanksgiving turkeys
FAQ
Is salmonella common in turkey?
Does turkey or chicken have more salmonella?
Can you get salmonella from fully cooked turkey?
Is food poisoning from turkey common?
Are raw turkeys contaminated with Salmonella?
Health officials say salmonella has been detected in ground turkey, raw turkey pet food and live turkeys, an indication the bacteria is widespread in the turkey industry. On Friday, Jennie-O Turkey announced it’s recalling more than 91,000 pounds of raw turkey for possible salmonella contamination.
What happens if you eat chicken with salmonella?
If you consume raw or under-cooked chicken that is contaminated with salmonella bacteria, it may cause a host of symptoms including diarrhea, which can cause dehydration. Other symptoms include stomach cramping, chills, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Some people infected with salmonella may not experience symptoms. Pregnant women, those with weakened immunity, older adults, and young children are at higher risk of foodborne illness and the negative effects from consuming chicken contaminated with salmonella.
Is there a salmonella outbreak in Turkey products?
Steven Lykken, president of Jenni-O Turkey Store, expressed concern that some people have become ill after exposure to salmonella in turkey products, and said that the turkey industry has tried to reduce salmonella contamination for many years. But he emphasized that this outbreak is not limited to his company.
Are turkeys safe to eat if you have Salmonella?
There is no U.S. requirement that turkeys or other poultry be free of salmonella — including antibiotic-resistant strains like the one tied to the outbreak — so prevention falls largely to consumers.