From staff reports

When preparing the Thanksgiving meal Wednesday night and Thursday morning, keep in mind a basic approach to avoiding foodborne illness: Cook that turkey and stuffing thoroughly and keep a clean kitchen.

Wednesday, November 24, 1999

When preparing the Thanksgiving meal Wednesday night and Thursday morning, keep in mind a basic approach to avoiding foodborne illness: Cook that turkey and stuffing thoroughly and keep a clean kitchen.

Turkey, like chicken, can be contaminated with salmonella and campylobacteria, organisms that can sicken or even kill people.

The Agriculture Department offers these turkey safety basics:

-Never thaw a frozen turkey at room temperature because salmonella multiply rapidly in warmer environments.

-Frozen turkeys can be defrosted in the refrigerator, allowing one day for every five pounds. People should make sure the original bag is not broken to keep raw juices from contaminating other foods. A frozen turkey can also be thawed in cold water, which should be changed every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. Fresh turkeys should be bought no more than two days before the big meal.

-Don’t let the raw turkey touch other foods. To avoid contamination, thoroughly wash everything it comes in contact with, including hands.

-Use a meat thermometer even in turkeys that have ”pop-up” temperature indicators. To kill all bacteria the temperature must reach 180 degrees in the thigh.

-Leftover turkey should be refrigerated or frozen within two hours and consumed within four days. Leftover gravy should be used within two days and reheated to a boil.

– Turkey stuffing can also be contaminated if it’s prepared inside the bird and insufficiently heated. The USDA says the safest way to cook stuffing is separate from the turkey. If the turkey is stuffed, cooks should mix ingredients just prior to filling the cavity and stuff loosely to help ensure safe, even cooking. To be safe the turkey still must reach 180 degrees and the stuffing 165 degrees.

On the Internet, the USDA Web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov offers additional food safety information. Also, the National Turkey Federation presents detailed turkey safety tips and recipes at http://www.eatturkey.com.G