Thanksgiving Toolkit to Prevent Foodborne Illness
Read This First
Media Materials
Press Release Template
Talking Points
USDA Materials
Consumer Fact Sheets
Brochure
Publication Request
The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service has publications and other resources to help you spread the message about food safety. These items are available at no charge. To order, complete the request form and allow at least 2 weeks for delivery.
Blogs
Thanksgiving food safety blog posts include:
- Whether Donating or Receiving Food this Thanksgiving, Everyone Can be Thankful for Food Safety
- Four Steps for a Food Safe Thanksgiving Feast
- SOS on Turkey Day – My Turkey Isn’t Ready, What Do I Do Now?
Follow the USDA Blog year-round for information on health and safety topics.
Suggested Social Media Posts
Suggested Tweets and Facebook posts are included to help spread the word about food safety during Thanksgiving.
YouTube Videos
- Safe Turkey Preparation (Playlist)
- Let's Talk about...
- Prepare a…
- Food Safety Tips for Holiday Meals
- Turkey Basics
- Why You Should Not Wash Your Turkey
- Instructional Videos: Clean - Separate - Cook - Chill
Audio Archives– General Radio Interviews (USDA)
5-Minute Segment:
- Turkey Flops and Fowlups
- If you think you have had some strange Thanksgiving turkey encounters, just listen to this reality radio edition of Agriculture USA with Gary Crawford.
- (Note: This is the combination of the two segments for “Turkey Fowlups and Foolishness” Parts One and Two)
3-Minute Segments:
- I Thought I’d Thaw an Unthawed Turkey
- If you are going to buy and cook a frozen turkey this Thanksgiving, you may need to plan ahead for the thawing process.
- Some Turkeys Try to Cook a Thanksgiving Turkey (MP3 Only)
- Follow some simple steps and you, too, can avoid a holiday turkey disaster.
- Avoid Thanksgiving Turkey Turmoil
- How big a turkey should we buy to feed our guests? How long will it take to thaw it and cook it properly? Gary Crawford has answers from an expert.
- Turkey Fowlups and Foolishness (Part One)
- If you think you have had some strange Thanksgiving turkey adventures, just listen to this report.
- Turkey Fowlups and Foolishness (Part Two)
- For some folks preparing the Thanksgiving turkey is a breeze, but others may have a more interesting time with that turkey. Gary Crawford has more.
1-Minute Segments
- Can You Eat that Turkey That's Been in the Freezer for Years...and Years?
- Can You Trust Those Turkey Pop-Up Doneness Devices?
- Cooking Stuffing inside the Turkey--Not the Greatest Idea
- Don't Rinse the Turkey in the Sink
- How Long Will It Take to Cook that Turkey?
- Keeping that Holiday Meal Safe to Eat after It's on the Table
- Matching the Size of the Turkey to the Number of Guests
- The Big Meal Just Hours Away. Turkey Still Frozen. Am I Doomed?
- USDA Experts Available Thanksgiving Day to Help Meal Preparers
Videos
- Thanksgiving B-roll (.MOV)
- Turkey Frying B-roll (.MP4)
Infographics
![]() Thanksgiving Timeline Infographic - Host Thanksgiving like a Pro (Flickr) |
|
![]() Thanksgiving Day of Infographic - Thanksgiving Easy as Pie (Flickr) |
|
![]() Thawing Turkey (Flickr) |
Four Steps to Food Safety:
Clean (Flickr) |
Separate (Flickr) |
Cook (Flickr) |
Chill (Flickr) |