One person has died, 63 are in a hospital and 100 more have been sickened after coming into contact with salmonella-infected turkey meat.
The CDC today announced a recent spike in infections from raw meat, and even pet food, in recent weeks.
The offending bacteria, Salmonella Reading, has been traced back to various products sold across the US in the past year, ‘indicating it might be widespread in the turkey industry,’ the CDC said.
The update comes as sales for turkey meat are set to rocket to an annual high just weeks before Thanksgiving.
Wash your hands! The CDC urges Americans to take extra precaution as Salmonella seems to be widespread in the turkey industry
The CDC and USDA say they have demanded answers from the turkey industry what is being done to reduce Salmonella contamination.
For now, they warn consumers to always handle raw turkey carefully and cook it thoroughly to prevent food poisoning.
They say eating properly cooked turkey products is fine, and retailers should not fear to sell raw turkey products.
However, once you get it to your kitchen, take extra care with the cooking process.
Firstly, invest in a thermometer, and make sure your turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165F before eating it.
Wash your hands, and wash them well. Sing ‘happy birthday’ twice – that will get you to around 20 seconds.
Thaw turkeys in the refrigerator, not on the counter.
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