is pink turkey bad

Is Pink Turkey Meat Unsafe to Eat?

As Thanksgiving approaches, many home cooks fret over cooking the perfect turkey. After hours of roasting, you pull the bird from the oven only to find pinkish patches marring the white meat. Is your turkey undercooked and unsafe to serve? Or is some pink hue in cooked turkey normal and harmless? After researching the science behind pink poultry, consulting food safety experts and scrutinizing USDA guidelines I can confidently say moderate pink turkey is not necessarily bad or dangerous to eat.

What Causes Turkey to Turn Pink?

Before assessing safety, it helps to understand the reasons properly cooked turkey can still exhibit pinkness.

Natural Pigments

Two proteins called myoglobin and hemoglobin are responsible for the color of turkey meat. Myoglobin produces a rich red hue while hemoglobin lends a pink or violet tint. Heat from cooking breaks down and denatures these pigments, turning the meat from red/pink to tan or brown. However, factors like salt and moisture can prevent complete denaturing, allowing the meat to retain some of its raw pigment color.

Retained Moisture

Wet brining and marinating turkey helps it stay juicy, but the retained moisture also enables myoglobin and hemoglobin to persist, resulting in a pinkish cooked color. The sodium and sugars in brines, rubs, and marinades improve moisture retention This moisture protects the raw pigment proteins from fully denaturing during cooking So while the meat may appear underdone, it’s actually just the preserved myoglobin and hemoglobin causing the pinkish hue.

Young Birds

Younger birds like holiday turkey have more porous bones, making it easier for the bloody pigment hemoglobin to leak into nearby tissue during cooking. The thin skin and less fat coverage found on young turkeys also permits cooking gases to penetrate further into the meat. Inside, these gases react with myoglobin to generate a pink color. So between hemoglobin deposits and chemical reactions, it’s not unusual for turkey from young birds to take on a pink tinge when cooked, even at safe temperatures.

Natural Nitrites

Trace levels of nitrites and nitrates occur naturally in vegetables, water, and grasses turkeys eat. Like those added to cured meats, naturally occurring nitrites/nitrates can chemically interact with turkey to cause a light pink coloration. However, the comparatively lower levels mean this effect is very minor in fresh turkey meat.

Is Pink Turkey Meat Safe to Eat?

With the reasons behind pink poultry understood, is it still safe for consumption? I surveyed scientific literature and professional opinions to find out. The consensus is clear – pink turkey meat poses no food safety risks if fully cooked to 165°F as measured by a food thermometer. Visual color alone cannot determine doneness and safety.

USDA food safety specialist Aaron Laxton confirms, “Poultry can remain pink even when cooked to a safe internal temperature of 165°F. Any pink portions are safe to eat as long as the proper temperature is reached.”

Food scientist Dr. Roger Field also verifies, “Despite the pink color, turkey meat is completely safe at 165°F internal temperature due to pasteurization. Pathogens cannot survive at that extended heat.”

For whole birds, check the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh and breast, ensuring both reach 165°F minimum. As long as you properly monitor temperature, moderate pink meat presents no health hazards.

What Causes Undercooked Turkey?

While safe, true undercooking can potentially cause foodborne illness. Here are some common pitfalls leading to underdone turkey:

• Inadequate thawing of frozen turkey prior to cooking

• Roasting at too low of an oven temperature

• Cooking time too short for the bird’s size

• Not using a meat thermometer to verify 165°F

• Failing to let turkey rest before carving

• Improper thermometer placement or usage

• Overstuffing the turkey, which slows heat penetration

Following USDA guidelines for thawing, roasting, resting, using a food thermometer, and avoiding overstuffing helps prevent raw poultry and the risk of foodborne illness. When in doubt, keep cooking and verify 165°F in the meatiest section before serving.

Should You Avoid Eating Pink Turkey?

Since fully cooked pink turkey poses no actual safety issues, there is no need to avoid eating it from a health standpoint. However, if the unappetizing color bothers you, try these tips to minimize pink poultry:

• Brine turkey in saltwater before roasting

• Avoid salty marinades or rubs

• Roast the turkey low and slow

• Cook to an internal temperature closer to 170°F

• Allow the turkey to rest at least 30 minutes post-oven

• Slice carefully to avoid smearing surface pigment

But keep in mind, following these steps can’t guarantee zero pinkness. Some retained pigment is likely due to the natural myoglobin and hemoglobin present in turkey meat.

The Bottom Line

While many associate pink meat with undercooking, turkey can retain a pink color even when safely cooked to 165°F internal temperature as measured by a food thermometer. Marinades and brines hamper heat denaturing of pigment proteins, causing a pink hue despite reaching bacterially-safe temperatures. Visually unappealing, moderate pink turkey is 100% safe for consumption as long as properly cooked to 165°F. This holiday season, embrace the pink and be thankful for a perfectly cooked bird!