Pink Turkey Meat! Is It Safe?

Friends:

Hi! Hope that you have followed the advice of "Planning Ahead" and of "Shopping Early" as you prepare for this year's Thanksgiving dinner!

Here, however, is another very useful bit of information about the color of your turkey after it has been properly baked. My source for this excerpt is again the Food Safety/Food Preparation Fact Sheets from the United States Department Of Agriculture (USDA). Please click on this URL and enjoy their many-faceted presentation:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Is_Pink_Turkey_Meat_Safe/index.asp.

Now here is today's excerpt:

"The color of cooked poultry is not always a sure sign of its safety. Only by using a food thermometer can one accurately determine that
poultry has reached a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F throughout the product. Turkey can remain pink even after cooking to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.The meat of smoked turkey is always pink."

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