HAVE A SAFE "TURKEY DAY"

Tomorrow - November 24, is officially Thanksgiving Day, sometimes known as "Turkey Day" in the U.S. I heard a TV commentator (on a business program) say today that this celebration dates back to 1942. Not quite true. That was the year that a joint resolution by both houses of the U.S. Congress in 1941 designated as the beginning of an annual Thanksgiving holiday to be held on the last Thursday of November. But the holiday itself dated back much further. And so does the turkey part of the celebration.

George Washington actually proclaimed the first Thanksgiving Day in 1789. After that, he and various subsequent Presidents renewed the tradition, although the date kept shifting a bit, and it wasn't celebrated every year. But the whole idea of such a day really dates back much earlier to the colonial settlers of the "New World."

Turkey seems to have usually been part of the feast. However, don't picture a big fat turkey such as we eat these days. What was eaten centuries ago was a scrawny wild turkey, like that bird that seems to always turn up in our neighborhood about this time of the year, and wander down the road. No one quite knows why it has never been run over - or, roasted.

So yes, these days we eat huge turkeys thanks to genetic improvements, better feed formulation and modern management practices. No, hormones are not allowed to be used in turkey production in the United States. We usually eat these turkeys between the ages of four and nine months (older ones are too tough).

Enough of the background: let's turn to the safety aspects. Raw turkeys quite often carry bacteria which can make you ill -and there are plenty of cases of "stomach flu" (really food poisoning) every year around this time, due to undercooked or poorly stored turkey. So remember some simple rules.

First, think of safety when basting, stuffing or otherwise handling the raw turkey. Wear disposable gloves, or thoroughly wash your hands afterwards, and don't let the raw turkey contaminate any surface (for instance, don't put it down on a counter - use a tray, foil sheet, or something that can be washed or discarded).

When roasting the turkey, you need to make sure that you roast it to an internal temperature of 165ºF or higher. Check by inserting a food thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh or the thickest part of the breast, and recheck in the other breast or thigh, in case it has cooked unevenly. It's quite OK to cook the turkey at a very low oven temperature (such as 325ºF) for a longer period of time, rather than at a higher temperature, as long as you do this internal temperature check.

And what if you start to carve, and when you get closer to the bone, you find that in spite of your focus on safe temperature, some of the meat is pink instead of white? Don't panic. It's safe, as long as you have cooked all parts of it to 165ºF and the juices run clear. What happens is that when you roast, smoke or grill very young turkeys, with immature and porous bones, the hemoglobin inside can leach out into the turkey meat, turning it pink.

Enjoy! And even though it has been a pretty rough year everywhere in the world, let's be thankful for what we have - including that turkey.

To your good health,
TSF

OLDER ADULTS NEED TO BE CAREFUL WITH SALMONELLA CONTAMINATED TURKEY

At the end of April this year I posted some thoughts on "The Biggest Threat in the U.S. Food Supply." The post was triggered by a question someone asked me at a social event. I basically said that it depends on who you are. But now that I happened to re-read what I wrote, I realize I didn't address the issue of eating safely as you get older as clearly as I should have done. A comment by a reader did it much better. Whoever you are, thank you, and I hope you don't mind me quoting you:

"It also is a matter of age. If you are young you need to be worried about the long term risks, problems that build up over time. Young bodies are more able to fight off the short term risks too. When you are older the dye has been cast with the long term risks so there's not much point in over-worrying about them. And you are less able to fight off the short term risks, so they should be your main concern."

I really don't think I can phrase it any better. Of course, the short-term risks are mainly those microbes, and especially the bacteria that keep cropping up in our food supply - and, not just in America. The currently ongoing recall of multi-drug resistant Salmonella-contaminated turkey is an example. The huge E.coli outbreak (eventually traced to sprouted seeds) in Germany this past spring is another.

The longer-term risks are toxic substances such as certain chemicals, metals, hormones and animal drug residues that are not uncommon in food these days either, although probably caught less often.

So back to aging and the currently ongoing ground turkey recall in the U.S. In general, as you get into your so-called "golden years" (which may not be all that "golden" with all those extra aches and pains, your investment portfolio being hit by global recession, and your pension-plan at risk of going belly-up) don't make things worse by getting food poisoning. Be particularly careful to cook your food well, especially the meat and fish items. And, although it is cheaper, and your food-budget may be stretched, you may be better off avoiding ground meat and poultry, which tend to be contaminated more often. Consider saving by eating less of safer meat instead.

At least, in the case of meat, poultry and fish, the safety of your food is more under your control than with salad greens or tomatoes that are often eaten raw. Cook it very well, and handle with great care.

To your good health,
TSF

RECALL OF THE CONTAMINATED GROUND TURKEY IN CALIFORNIA

I have noticed that a lot of my California-based blog readers are wondering where the recently recalled Cargill ground turkey was sold here (see previous posts). People are particularly concerned - rightly so - because this is not just any old meat recall. It involves a Salmonella bacteria which is multi-drug resistant. That is the type of bacteria we all fear most, whether it be a Stahylococcus, Streptococcus, E.coli, or Salmonella. And, it is also the type of bacteria that is increasingly cropping up as antibiotics are overused, including at sub-therapeutic levels in poultry and meat production.

The California Department of Health (CDPH) has now put out a list of places where these recalled meat products were sold. It is paying particular attention to this nationwide recall, since several illnesses and the one death, have occurred in California (above see map).

The California stores involved in the recall include: WinCo, Food4Less, Foodsco, Stater Brothers Markets, Ralph's, Ralph's Fresh Fair, and Cala (only in San Francisco). I say "include" because who knows, more may be added to the list.

The products bore brand names of Kroger, Honeysuckle White and Riverside (see earlier posts for the products recalled). They were sold in many parts of California. The list of towns and cities is too long to include here but can be accessed on the Excel spread sheet provided by CDPH: see http://www.cdph.ca.gov/pubsforms/Documents/fdbFrCMSd.xls (or, search on cdph.ca.gov for Cargill turkey recall). The list includes store addresses and telephone numbers which allows you to call them if you have any questions.

But remember that these potentially dangerous products have now been taken off the market. At least we hope so (besides, their Best by date has expired). And, as I have said before, just because pathogenic bacteria are found in significant numbers in a few items does not mean that they are present in every single package bought.

To your good health,
TSF

CONTAMINATED TURKEY RECALL COULD GET EVEN BIGGER

The ongoing recall of ground turkey by Cargill Meat Solutions (see yesterday's post) is the third largest in U.S. food recall history. To date, 36 million pounds of ground turkey have been recalled. Related Salmonella illnesses have been reported across 26 U.S. states. And, it could get larger.

Many food product recalls expand over time. In fact, it's a common pattern. (See post of July 28). As the investigation focuses in and continues, new problems tend to emerge. In this case, the government inspectors are still at work doing interviews with people who are ill with this particularly dangerous Salmonella bacteria and doing tests on samples.

There are two ways the recall could expand. First, more Cargill products could be involved. Secondly, more turkey products of other companies could also be found to be contaminated. It all depends where the contaminants entered - on the farm or at the plant - or, somewhere else. Reportedly, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which is in charge of any meat-related issues, is investigating at least one other manufacturer for similar contamination problems.

So what do you do in the meantime? I would suggest you avoid buying any pre-packaged ground turkey for a while if you live in the U.S., unless it is ground at the store (that is how I get mine). And, if you have already bought some and want to use it (but, it is not one of the recalled products - see yesterday's list), be extra careful anyway not only to cook it thoroughly, but to handle it very carefully, using disposable gloves or tools that you can throw out or wash thoroughly afterwards. Any bacteria that is resistant to multiple antibiotics is no joke.

To your good health,
TSF