It’s a meal that millions of Americans look foward to all year.
But if you’re in charge of tomorrow’s Thanksgiving Dinner, make sure you heed new advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC has revealed exactly how to prepare your holiday turkey safely.
This includes the best way to store, thaw, handle, cook, and even reheat your bird.
Contrary to popular belief, the experts say that you should not wash your raw turkey, as this can spread germs to other foods in your kitchen – raising the risk of food poisoning.
‘Old recipes and family cooking traditions may tell you to keep this practice going, but it can make you and your family sick,’ the CDC explained.
‘Poultry juice can spread in the kitchen and contaminate other foods, utensils, and countertops.’
Despite this advice, a 2020 survey found that more than three quarters of Americans wash or rinse their turkey before cooking.
Contrary to popular belief, experts say that you should not wash your raw turkey, as this can spread germs to other foods in your kitchen – raising the risk of food poisoning (stock image)
It’s a meal that millions of Americans look foward to all year. But if you’re in charge of tomorrow’s Thanksgiving Dinner, make sure you heed new advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (stock image)
Just like raw chicken, raw turkey can be contaminated with several germs that make you sick – including Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, and Campylobacter.
‘Clostridium perfringens outbreaks occur most often in November and December,’ the CDC explained.
‘Many of these outbreaks have been linked to foods commonly served during the holidays, such as turkey and roast beef.’
While you might think that washing your turkey could help to rid it of any germs, unfortunately this isn’t the case.
In fact, the water droplets ejected during the washing process can actually spread germs around your kitchen.
This is particularly a problem if you have any ready-to-eat foods near your sink.
‘Take particular care to keep raw food away from ready-to-eat foods such as bread, salad and fruit,’ the NHS advises.
‘These foods won’t be cooked before you eat them so any germs that get on to them won’t be killed.’
For the same reason, it’s important you always clean worktops, chopping boards, dishes and utensils after they have touched raw turkey.
And you should never use the same chopping board for raw poultry and ready-to-eat food without washing it thoroughly in hot, soapy water.
If you’re reluctant to let go of your poultry-washing habit, Professor Enzo Palombo, a professor of Microbiology at Swinburne University of Technology, advises doing so in a sink of water, rather than under a running tap.
‘Use a paper towel to mop up any liquids, dispose of the towel and clean up afterwards,’ he advised in an article for The Conversation.
‘This will help reduce the risk of cross-contamination and keep the kitchen safe.’