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TflVi iT>k1 ' 111 IhM "STEAKS ft SEAFOOD Aged Steaks, Fresh Fish & Prime Rib Pypihas^Y^yp Holiday QWt Serving Lynch & Dinner ©pen Daily at 11:00 am 1200 Urc^Io Street :-£p|upnbia, SG I0l=7ff=iiil ; Turkey industry companies are trying to process birds more quickly to reduce salmonella rates Temperature is key [ to keeping [Thanksgiving feast safe . - - : - . BY LAURIE KELLMAN THE ASSOCIATED I'ltESS WASHINGTON — Getting family to gether for a Thanksgiving feast can be stressful enough without worrying whether the meal will make anyone sick. That’s why the government and con sumer groups are talking turkey about how cooks can serve a safe meal. People buying a bird at the grocery store should check out the “sell by,” “best if used by” or “use by” dates stamped on the packaging to confirm freshness. Then, double-bag the bird in plastic for its trip home and quickly get it into the refrigerator or freezer. Those steps can reduce the risk of food-borne illness, such as salmonella, from developing on the turkey and rub bing off on other food, hands or kitchen utensils before it is cooked. Infections occur when a person ingests live salmo nella bacteria, which survive digestion and cause symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. “If we can reduce the level coming into the kitchen, then we can reduce the risk of contamination,” said Caroline Smith DeWaal, director of food safety for the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Thorough cooking destroys salmo nella bacteria and other food-borne ill nesses. Even before a turkey arrives in a re tail store, the government has tried to give consumers a head start on safety. All turkeys found in these stores are ei ther inspected by the Agriculture Department or by states with the same standards. Each turkey and its internal organs are inspected for'evidence of disease, ac cording to the department. A Grade A stamp means the turkey is the highest quality. It’s the only grade consumers are likely to see in retail stores. Government testing has led many in the turkey industry to process birds more carefully and to get their salmo nella infection rate below 2 percent, ac ♦ TURKEY, SEE PAGE 11