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Let’s talk turkey -- safe turkey

[NOV. 1, 2002] 

Cooking a stuffed turkey is riskier than cooking one not stuffed. Harmful bacteria can survive in stuffing that has not reached the safe temperature of 165 F, possibly resulting in foodborne illness. Therefore, it is essential that you always use a food thermometer to check the temperature of the stuffing. For safety and uniform doneness, cook stuffing separately in a casserole.

The ingredients for the stuffing can be prepared ahead of time. Keep wet and dry ingredients separated; chill. Mix wet and dry ingredients just before putting stuffing into a casserole or filling the turkey cavity. The stuffing should be moist, not dry, since heat destroys bacteria more rapidly in a moist environment.

The safest way to cook stuffing is in a casserole in a 325 degree oven. The internal temperature of the stuffing must reach 165. If you choose to stuff your turkey, make sure it is stuffed loosely. Cook the turkey immediately after stuffing. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and in the center of the stuffing. Even if the innermost part of the thigh has reached a safe internal temperature of 180, the center of the stuffing inside the turkey may not have reached 165 and can cause foodborne illness. Continue to cook the stuffed turkey until the stuffing has reached 165.

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Standing time

For quality, you may choose to let the turkey stand for 20 minutes to let juices set. If your turkey is stuffed, the temperature of the stuffing will also continue to rise during this time. Remove all the stuffing from the turkey immediately after standing time.

Refrigerate stuffing in shallow containers. Use leftover stuffing within one to two days for best quality.

Buying stuffed turkeys without the USDA or state mark of inspection is not recommended. Turkeys purchased stuffed and frozen that have the USDA or state mark of inspection on the packaging are safe because they have been processed under controlled conditions. These turkeys should not be thawed before cooking. Follow package directions for handling.

Meat and poultry hot line:

1 (800) 535-4555, toll-free nationwide

1 (800) 256-7072, TTY

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service site:

www.fsis.usda.gov

[USDA "Food Safety Facts"
provided by the Logan County Health Department]

Animals for Adoption

Found dog

Rescuers seek dog owner

We are seeking help in finding the owner of a dog found on Monday, Sept. 16, wandering on Old 66 near the Burwell office building. The dog, an unaltered male poodle/terrier or schnauzer mix, was thin and wet, as if he had been out loose for a few days. He had no collar. He was very willing to go with the woman who stopped to rescue him from the highway. He is very friendly and seems to be house-trained. His mostly black fur had been clipped within the last month, so somebody had been caring for him in the recent past.

We have contacted local groomers, vets and animal control with no response so far. If no one claims him soon, we will find a new home for him. The owner can contact us at 735-1413, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Positive CWD case found in Illinois

[NOV. 12, 2002]  SPRINGFIELD — Chronic wasting disease has been detected in a sample from a wild deer near Roscoe in Winnebago County, the Department of Natural Resources announced recently. The disease is not known to be contagious to livestock or humans.

The young female deer was shot by a landowner in late October because he believed it was ill. Conservation police officers from the Department of Natural Resources were contacted and collected the doe for testing at the Illinois Department of Agriculture laboratory in Centralia. A follow-up test conducted Nov. 1 at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, confirmed the diagnosis.

Chronic wasting disease is a fatal neurological disease found in deer and elk. The disease affects the brains of infected animals, causing them to become emaciated, display abnormal behavior, lose coordination and eventually die.

CWD has been diagnosed in wild, free-ranging deer and elk as well as in captive animals in a number of western states and was found earlier this year in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
"This is the first positive for CWD from any deer or elk in Illinois, though we’ve been monitoring and testing for the disease for the past five years," said IDNR Director Brent Manning. "Illinois expanded its surveillance efforts earlier this year and created a joint task force with the Departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture following the CWD outbreak in southern Wisconsin."

"The detection of CWD in Winnebago County is disappointing," Manning said. "We are committed to a long-term plan of stepped up surveillance and monitoring and to taking all steps biologically appropriate to control the spread of chronic wasting disease in Illinois. Deer hunters and those who value the health of wildlife and outdoor recreation in Illinois will continue to play an important role in that process."

Extensive testing for the disease is planned during Illinois’ firearm deer season, which begins Friday, Nov. 22. About 3,500 samples in 36 counties from hunter-harvested deer around Illinois will be collected and tested. Larger numbers of samples from hunter-harvested deer are being collected in northern Illinois. Additional samples also are being taken from deer control programs in northeastern Illinois where firearm deer hunting is not allowed.

Counties tentatively to be sampled for CWD during the 2002 firearm deer hunting season include Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, Carroll, Ogle, DeKalb, Whiteside, Rock Island, Bureau, LaSalle, Hancock, Adams, Pike, Fulton, McLean, Vermilion, Sangamon, Macoupin, Shelby, Fayette, Effingham, Clark, Lawrence, Madison, St. Clair, Clinton, Washington, Randolph, Jefferson, Marion,Williamson, Union, Johnson and Pope. Counties were selected based on a variety of factors including geographic location, size of deer population and the number of facilities with captive deer or elk.

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"Once we get test results back from our expanded surveillance efforts, the task force will be able to evaluate the extent of the disease in Illinois and the necessary steps to control the disease," Manning said.

A task force comprised of key staff from both agencies has been working for months to develop plans to address surveillance of wild deer and captive herds, import and export of deer and elk, and a planned response to a potential chronic wasting disease outbreak in Illinois.

The importation of hunter-harvested deer and elk is being limited, the importation of live animals has been restricted, and the feeding of wild deer has been banned.

A DNR rule bans the importation of hunter-harvested deer and elk carcasses into Illinois, except for deboned meat, antlers, antlers attached to skull caps, hides, upper canine teeth and finished taxidermist mounts. Skull caps must be cleaned of all brain and muscle tissue. This action prevents hunters from bringing potentially diseased animals into Illinois and discarding their parts in a manner that could result in contamination of Illinois’ deer herd.

The department has banned the feeding of wild deer and other wildlife in areas where wild deer are present. The ban includes food, salt, mineral blocks and other food products, with some exceptions. For example, bird and squirrel feeders close to homes and incidental feeding of wildlife within active livestock operations are exempt from the ban. For a complete list of the exemptions, see Section 635.40 at http://dnr.state.il.us/legal/635-emergency.htm on the department’s website.

The department has also implemented regulations to minimize the threat of chronic wasting disease entering Illinois through the interstate transportation of captive deer and elk and to monitor captive herds already in Illinois. DNR shares responsibility with the Department of Agriculture in regulating captive deer and elk on game farms. DNR’s new rule complements new regulations being adopted by the Agriculture Department for diseased animals.

For updated information about chronic wasting disease, including answers to frequently asked questions and the department’s rules, see http://dnr.state.il.us/pubaffairs/2002/CWD.htm.

[Illinois Department of Natural Resources press release]

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