Colorado State University Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network
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165ºF IS SAFE END-POINT TEMPERATURE FOR ALL TURKEY PARTS
Edited by: Stephanie Wallner, M.S., Mary Schroeder, M.S., R.D, Pat Kendall, Ph.D., R.D., Colorado State - Fall 2006
As Thanksgiving and other year-end holidays draw near, many consumers begin to think about entertaining, cooking, and preparing larger than usual meals for visiting family and friends. Food safety becomes especially important this time of year, when we often cook foods in large quantities or serve meals buffet-style.
Looking ahead to the holiday season, a main concern for many families is planning and preparing the traditional turkey dinner for Thanksgiving day. Since turkeys are often sold frozen, it is important to plan ahead to ensure that the meat is cooked thoroughly and safely. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) offers guidelines on thawing and cooking frozen turkeys safely based on the weight of the turkey.
Safe Thawing:
FSIS recommends thawing frozen turkeys in the refrigerator in the original wrapper or packaging for approximately 24 hours per 5 pounds of turkey. Using this guideline, a 10-12 pound turkey will take about 2 days to thaw; a 12-16 pound turkey 2-3 days; and a 16-20 pound turkey 3-4 days. Once thawed, it's important to cook the turkey within 1 to 2 days. Another option, if time is short, is to thaw a turkey immersed in cold water, as long as the water is changed every 30 minutes. FSIS guidelines recommend 30 minutes thawing time in cold water for every pound of turkey - for instance, 4-6 hours for an 8-12 pound turkey.
Safe Cooking:
After years of recommending that turkeys be cooked to 180ºF in the thigh and 165ºF in the breast and stuffing, FSIS is now recommending 165ºF as the ONE safe end-point temperature to remember for all parts of the turkey. Note that if you like your turkey very tender and well done, you may want to cook it to a higher end-point temperature. The thermometer should be inserted into the innermost part of the turkey, and the temperature of the stuffing inside the turkey should be checked as well. Once the reading in all parts of the bird is 165ºF, the turkey is safe to serve. Any remaining leftovers should also be heated to 165ºF.
In addition to online information at http://www.fsis.usda.gov, USDA-FSIS provides a Meat and Poultry Hotline free of charge for consumers to get answers to food preparation questions. The hotline is available toll-free at 1-800-535-4555 and includes automated responses to common questions 24/7 as well as live responses in English or Spanish from 8-2 pm MT. Consumers can also send e-mail questions through the "Ask Karen!" program at MPHotline.fsis@usda.gov.
Sources:
Countdown to the Thanksgiving Holiday. USDA-FSIS, Oct. 2005, Available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Countdown_to_Thanksgiving_Holiday.pdf
