Is pink turkey meat safe?
The color pink in cooked turkey meat raises a “red flag” to many diners and cooks. Conditioned to be wary of pink in fresh pork, they question the safety of cooked poultry and other meats that have a rosy blush. Many people who call the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Hotline (800-535-4555) report being alarmed when seeing “pink.” To them, it means “unsafe” or “under-done.” The color of cooked meat and poultry is not always a sure sign of its degree of doneness. Only a meat thermometer can help you determine whether meat has reached a safe temperature. Turkey, fresh pork, ground beef or veal can remain pink even after cooking to temperatures of 160 degrees F and higher. The meat of smoked turkey is always pink. To understand some of the causes of “pinking” or “pinkening” in fresh turkey, it’s important to know first what gives meat its natural color. Why is poultry lighter in color than beef? The protein myoglobin is the major pigment found in the muscles of all verte
