Feast your eyes on these safe turkey-prep tips

A video from our testing labs shows how quickly Thanksgiving plans can go up in flames when things go awry with a propane-powered deep fryer. As we reported around this time last year, Underwriters Laboratories has refused to put its UL mark on any propane fryer to certify its safety—a rare move for the nonprofit safety testing organization that certifies almost every kind of electrical or gas-powered product sold in the U.S. "Based on our test findings, the fryers used to produce those great-tasting birds are not worth the risks," says John Drengenberg, UL consumer affairs manager.

The dangers are many. Units can easily tip over, spilling the hot oil. Oil that sometimes overflows when a turkey is placed in the pot can hit the burner and burst into flames. The units have no thermostat controls and the sides, lid and handles can get very hot posing burn hazards.

A few years ago, we tested one of the electric fryers on the market, and it proved safer than propane models. The deep-fryer—designed strictly for indoor use—cooks a turkey up to 14 pounds.  And it has some safety features including a built-in safety switch, a temperature sensor, an outer shield and six legs to  give it more stability.

While such Food Network favorites as Paula Deen and Alton Brown feature recipes for deep-fried turkey, if you are tempted to try it this year with a propane fryer, do so with extreme caution and constant vigilance.  Check out these safety tips from UL.

No matter how you plan to cook your turkey, take the time to review Let's Talk Turkey, safety tips from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Some of their advice has changed. For example, the USDA recommends against washing a turkey before cooking it and says doing so can actually spread bacteria to other foods and utensils and surfaces. Another change is in testing the turkey for doneness. The USDA says a turkey is safe when all of it is cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F. (Previously, the agency recommended different temperatures for various parts of the bird.) And don't rely on a pop-up thermometer—check the temperature yourself with a reliable meat thermometer. 

Comments

[BBF]

The safest way to prepare turkey is not to prepare it at all. Leave it at the store or at the farm or wherever. You will probably be a lot healthier w/o the addition of white or brown, roasted of steamed or fried turkey meats.

August 15, 2001 -- In 1999, 1.29 million, or 54%, of all U.S. deaths were attributed to diseases for which consumption of animal products represents a substantial risk factor.

The estimate was obtained by adding the number of deaths caused by each of 14 diseases for which physicians specializing in the relationship between diet and health have identified meat consumption as a substantial risk factor. The number of 1999 deaths by each disease came from the National Vital Statistics Report published in June 2001 by the National Center for Health Statistics of the U.S. Public Health Service.

Identification of meat-linked diseases was conservative. Thus, cancer of urinary organs was not included, although a plant-based diet reduces the risk. For 'ill-defined' and 'other' diseases, the number of deaths included in the total was prorated according to the ratio of meat-linked deaths to all other deaths.

Source: USPHS, National Center for Health Statistics "Deaths: Preliminary Data for 1999," National Vital Statistics Report, June 26, 2001

I don't know why Consumer Reports is still pretending that there is a safe way to prepare (and I assume eat) turkey.