What should I know about turkey before Thanksgiving?

This information is brought to you courtesy of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Web… This information is brought to you courtesy of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Web site.

Can Antibiotics and Hormones Be Used in Raising Turkeys?

In approving drugs for use in livestock and poultry, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) work together. FDA sets legal limits for drug residues in meat and poultry. FSIS enforces the limits FDA sets for drug residues. Antibiotics may be given to prevent disease and increase feed efficiency.

A “withdrawal” period is required from the time antibiotics are administered before the bird can be slaughtered. This assures that no residues are present in the bird’s system. FSIS randomly samples poultry at slaughter and tests for residues. Under the federal meat and poultry inspection laws, any raw meat or poultry shown to contain residues above established tolerance levels is considered adulterated and must be condemned. No hormones have been approved for use in turkeys.

Are All Turkeys Inspected?

All turkeys found in retail stores are either inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or by state systems that have standards equivalent to the federal government. Each turkey and its internal organs are inspected for evidence of disease. The “Inspected for wholesomeness by the U.S. Department of Agriculture” seal ensures that it is wholesome, properly labeled and not adulterated.

What Does the Grade Mean?

Inspection for wholesomeness is mandatory, but grading for quality is voluntary. Grade A is the highest quality and the only grade you are likely to see at the retail level. The grade shield for poultry may be found on the following ready-to-cook products, whether chilled or frozen: whole carcasses and parts and other boneless and/or skinless poultry products. Grade A indicates that the poultry products are virtually free from defects such as bruises, discolorations and feathers. Bone-in products will have no broken bones. For whole birds and parts with skin on, there will be no tears in the skin or exposed flesh that could dry out during cooking, and there will be a good covering of fat under the skin. Also, whole birds and parts will be fully fleshed and meaty.

Are Additives Allowed in Fresh Turkeys?

Additives are not allowed on fresh turkeys or those “minimally processed” (cut into parts). However, if turkeys are “processed” (injected with a basting solution, ground, canned, cured, smoked, dried or made into luncheon meats), additives such as MSG, salt or sodium erythorbate may be added but must be listed on the label in descending order from largest to smallest amount of the ingredient.

What Are “Basted” and “Self-basted” Turkeys?

Bone-in poultry products that are injected or marinated with a solution containing butter or other edible fat, broth, stock or water plus spices, flavor enhancers and other approved substances must be labeled as “basted” or “self-basted.” The maximum added weight of approximately 3 percent solution before processing is included in the net weight on the label. The label must include a statement identifying the total quantity and common or usual name of all ingredients in the solution, e.g., “Injected with approximately 3% of a solution of _______ (list of ingredients).”

Can Poultry Be Irradiated?

In 1992, the USDA approved a rule to permit irradiation of raw, fresh or frozen packaged poultry to control certain common bacteria on raw poultry that can cause illness when poultry is undercooked or otherwise mishandled. The rule permits irradiation at 1.5 to 3.0 kiloGray, the smallest, most practical “dose” of irradiation for bacterial control with the goal of reducing the potential for food-borne illness.

Only small quantities of poultry have been treated. Packages of irradiated poultry would be easily recognizable at the store because they must carry the international radiation logo as well as the words “Treated with Irradiation” or “Treated by Irradiation.”

What Foodborne Organisms Are Associated with Turkey?

Salmonella enteritidis may be found in the intestinal tracts of livestock, poultry, dogs, cats and other warm-blooded animals and inside fresh shell eggs. Salmonella infections occur when a person ingests live Salmonella bacteria, which then survive digestion and reproduce in the small intestine to numbers large enough to cause symptoms. This strain is only one of about 2,000 kinds of Salmonella bacteria. Thorough cooking destroys Salmonella bacteria.

Campylobacter jejuni is one of the most common causes of diarrheal illness in humans. It is found in the intestinal tracts of chickens, turkeys, cattle, swine, sheep, dogs, cats, rodents, monkeys, some wild birds and some asymptomatic humans. It has also been found in water, soil and sewage sludge. Avoiding cross contamination and proper cooking prevent infection by this bacterium.

Staphylococcus aureus can be carried on human skin, in infected cuts and pimples, in nasal passages and in throats. They are spread by improper food handling. Always wash hands and utensils before preparing and serving food. Cooked foods that will not be served immediately should be refrigerated in shallow, covered containers. Perishable foods should not be left at room temperature more than two hours. Temperature abuse can allow the bacteria to grow and produce staphylococcal enterotoxin. Thorough cooking destroys staphylococcal bacterial cells, but staphylococcal enterotoxin is not destroyed by heat, refrigeration or freezing.

Listeria monocytogenes bacteria are common in the intestines of humans and animals and in milk, soil, leafy vegetables and food processing environments. It can grow slowly at refrigerator temperatures. It is destroyed by cooking, but a cooked product can be contaminated by poor personal hygiene. Observe “keep refrigerated” and “use-by dates” on labels.