Turkey day can still be turkey day despite illness issue

NEW YORK — There’s no reason to skip Thanksgiving dinner because of a salmonella outbreak linked to raw turkey.

That’s according to health officials who’ve been monitoring the year-old outbreak. But they say it’s a reminder to properly prepare your holiday bird. Cooking kills salmonella.

The ongoing outbreak and recall last week of ground turkey may nevertheless leave you with a few questions when reaching for a plate of turkey.

Salmonella is considered widespread in poultry, and it’s perfectly legal for supermarkets to sell raw turkey that has the bacteria.

Even though salmonella is not prohibited in raw meat or poultry, regulators check to make sure the number of samples at processing plants that test positive for the bacteria is within standards. Rules are tighter for whole turkeys, and the industry says the chances of finding salmonella in whole birds are “exceedingly low.”

The rules differ for other products. For instance, salmonella is not allowed in packaged foods that aren’t cooked to kill germs.

Since it began last year, the outbreak linked to raw turkey has caused one death and 164 reported illnesses in 35 states. Until last week, regulators hadn’t been able to tie any cases to a specific product or supplier.

The recall could be confusing because federal regulations are contradictory. The U.S. Department of Agriculture doesn’t prohibit salmonella but can ask companies to recall products once they are clearly shown to be responsible for illnesses. The USDA’S Carmen Rottenberg said the agency can’t take action until it has enough evidence.

According to the USDA, the people who got food poisoning reported eating different kinds of turkey products and brands. Cases also included people who handled raw turkey pet food or worked with live turkeys.