Thanksgiving Food Safety: Separating Fact from Fiction

Most blogs that I write are geared toward the foodservice professional preparing food in commercial foodservice operations. This one is no different, but it intentionally straddles the line between home and commercial foodservice. Regardless of whether you are preparing turkey dinners for paying guests or gathering with friends around your own table, the principles of food safety remain the same.

Unfortunately, the Thanksgiving holiday also brings with it a collection of myths and misconceptions that can put guests at risk for foodborne illness. As someone who has spent decades in food safety, I’ve heard countless well-intentioned but dangerous pieces of advice. The myths I’m about to dispel affect both commercial kitchen employees and home cooks alike, and the consequences of getting it wrong are equally serious.

• Myth #1: You Should Wash Your Turkey Before Cooking It

This is perhaps the most persistent and dangerous Thanksgiving myth. Many home cooks and even some foodservice professionals believe that rinsing a raw turkey under running water will remove bacteria and make it safer to eat. But the truth is the exact opposite!

When you rinse raw poultry under running water, you can splash water everywhere and potentially spread Salmonella and Campylobacter. Research has shown that bacteria can splash up to three feet away from your sink during rinsing. Worse yet, 60% of the subjects in one study had bacteria in their sink after washing or rinsing poultry; 14% had bacteria in their sinks even after they attempted to clean it.

The only way to safely kill bacteria on turkey is through proper cooking to an internal temperature of 165°F. Skip the rinse, handle the bird carefully, and save yourself and others from a foodborne illness.

• Myth #2: If the Turkey Looks Done, It’s Safe to Eat

Visual cues like golden-brown skin, clear juices, or white meat are not reliable indicators that your turkey has reached a safe internal temperature. The only way to know for certain that your turkey is safe is by using a calibrated food thermometer.

Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh, and the innermost part of the wing. All three locations must reach 165°F to ensure that harmful bacteria have been destroyed. Don’t rely on pop-up thermometers that come with some turkeys; these are often inaccurate and may pop before the bird has reached a safe temperature throughout.

For foodservice operators serving multiple birds, checking each one is non-negotiable. Document your temperatures and maintain your records. If an illness complaint arises, your temperature logs will be your best defense.

• Myth #3: A Little Pink in the Turkey Means It’s Undercooked

Because we are talking about using thermometers and cooking your turkey to 165°F, it is also important to note that while pink turkey meat often indicates undercooking, it’s not always the case. Younger turkeys and those that have been smoked or cooked at lower temperatures may retain a pink color, even when properly cooked to 165°F. The pink color can result from hemoglobin in the meat, reactions with gases in the oven, or the age of the bird.

This is why temperature, not color, must be your guidepost. If your thermometer reads 165°F in all the required locations, the turkey is safe regardless of color. Conversely, turkey meat can appear white and still be undercooked if it hasn’t reached the proper internal temperature.

• Myth #4: Stuffing Cooked Inside the Turkey is Traditional and Safe

While cooking stuffing inside the turkey cavity may be traditional, it’s also risky. The stuffing absorbs raw turkey juices as it cooks, and the center of the stuffing often doesn’t reach the safe temperature of 165°F by the time the turkey meat is properly cooked. This creates a perfect scenario for foodborne illness. Either you undercook the stuffing or you overcook the turkey.

For perfectly cooked turkey and stuffing, cook your stuffing separately in a casserole dish. For foodservice operations, I strongly recommend the separate cooking method to minimize risk and ensure consistent quality.

• Myth #5: You Can Thaw Turkey on the Counter

I would think that most foodservice employees and operators know the danger of thawing food on the counter. Unfortunately, the dangerous practice of counter-thawing remains common in both the home and foodservice operations.

When you thaw a turkey at room temperature, the outer portions enter the temperature danger zone (41°F to 135°F) while the inside remains frozen. Bacteria multiply rapidly in this zone, potentially reaching dangerous levels before cooking even begins.

Safe thawing methods include refrigerator thawing (24 hours for every 4-5 pounds), cold water thawing (30 minutes per pound, changing water every 30 minutes, or under continuously running water), or microwave thawing (but for food quality purposes I don’t know that I would recommend microwave thawing for a turkey). Plan ahead and use refrigerator thawing whenever possible. A 20-pound turkey requires 4 to 5 days of thawing time in the refrigerator, so plan your production schedule accordingly.

• Myth #6: Hot Food Cannot Go Straight into the Refrigerator

When I started in the foodservice industry at 14 years of age, I remember the prep cook at the time training me that I must let the soup that just came out of the steam jacketed kettle set on the counter for an hour or so before putting into the cooler. We did not want to warm up the cooler after all.  While I believe this myth is not common in the foodservice industry today, it is still a common misconception among home cooks.

Let me be clear: you absolutely should refrigerate hot foods promptly rather than letting them cool on the counter. The old advice about letting food cool to room temperature first is outdated and dangerous.

Modern refrigerators can handle hot foods without significantly affecting their internal temperature, especially if you follow proper cooling techniques. For large quantities like whole turkeys or big pots of gravy, divide them into smaller, shallow containers to promote rapid cooling. The goal is to cool foods from 135°F to 70°F within two hours, and from 70°F to 41°F or below within an additional four hours. For foodservice operators, use ice baths, shallow pans, and proper portioning to meet these time requirements.

• Myth #7: Leftovers are Safe as Long as They Smell Okay

The sniff test is not a reliable indicator of food safety. Many dangerous bacteria produce no noticeable odor. If foods are handled correctly before being stored for leftovers, and then properly reheated to 165°F before consuming, they are safe to eat for seven days. USDA advises consumers to consume leftovers within three to four days, but the food code allows foodservice operators seven days.

Be sure to label all leftovers with preparation dates and discard anything that exceeds safe storage times, regardless of appearance or smell.

This Thanksgiving season, commit to evidence-based food safety practices: use thermometers, practice proper hand hygiene, avoid cross-contamination, maintain proper holding temperatures, cool foods rapidly, and when in doubt, throw it out. Remember, foodborne illness doesn’t take holidays. The CDC reports that November and December often see spikes in foodborne illness cases, many related to improper food handling during holiday gatherings. Don’t let your operation, or your home, become a statistic.

Have questions about Thanksgiving food safety or other holiday food handling concerns? Reach out to me at foodsafety@foodhandler.com. I’m always happy to help foodservice operators navigate the complexities of food safety. Risk Nothing.