When preparing the turkey for the Thanksgiving meal there are a few tips to be aware of in preventing food borne illnesses.

Judi Van Hulzen, a nurse with Marion County Public Health points out there are four keys to be aware of; thawing the turkey, preparing, stuffing and cooking. We will discuss two of those keys today and two more tomorrow.

Van Hulzen tells KNIA/KRLS News, “So, with that turkey, we want to thaw that turkey. So, it’s safe, definitely while frozen. But once it starts thawing, that danger zone for the turkey is in between, 40 degrees and 140 degrees. Any bacteria that was on the turkey before it started thawing is still there. So, it could start growing again between 40 and 140 degrees. That bacteria likes to rapidly multiply. The best practice is to thaw that little guy, or big guy in a fridge over three or four days. The USDA, they recommend allowing one day for each four to five pounds of weight for that turkey.”

In preparing the turkey, anything the turkey touches from food, utensils, surfaces and our hands can spread the bacteria and cause some bad illnesses the next day. It is recommended to wash our hands, for at least 20 seconds after touching the raw turkey.