turkey and 140* temp and time

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I have completely confused myself on poulty temps and what is safe. So let me know if this was okay or not.

This weekend I smoked two 7-lb bone-in turkey breasts in my WMS. I removed the skin since we don't eat it and applied the cinamon/cumin rub from the cooking topics section for boneless-skinless breast. (btw- I subbed Granulated Splenda for the sugar and it worked great) Smoked both on the top grate for about 5 hours to internal temp of 170 with a grate temp of about 240. Came out perfect to me. Nice bark, huge smoke ring, very juicy and tasted incredible.

So I guess my quetion is, as long as the internal temp is over 140, poultry is safe? Or even if the final temp is over 140, it still could be dangerous if it is between 40 and 140 for too long? I always just shoot for the final temp of 170 in poultry and never paid any attention to how long it takes to get there. After looking through the forum at other turkey/temp posts, I am confused by the 40 to 140 danger zone, and if there is a time factor I am not considering.

Shawn
 
Others will correct em if I'm wrong, but...

The 40-140 does not refer to the temp of the turkey (or pork, brisket, etc.), but rather to the temperature at which it is being kept.

In other words, a turkey sitting on a kitchen counter will grow undesirable bacteria over time. The same turkey sitting in a 240 degree smoker will not, because the temperature of the smoker is high enough to take the bird out of the "danger zone" and will inhibit (prohibit?) the growth of bacteria.

Poultry is safe above 140 (think of duck served medium rare). The bad bugs are killed at 137.
 
I've also heard that it's the amount of time in the 40-140 danger zone. Less than four hours total time (butchering, sitting in a box waiting to be put in the store's refrigerator, sitting in your cart, the drive home, etc) and you're okay.

The other thing I've heard is that the high temp. may kill the bacteria, but the bacteria, during that four or more hours, has produced toxins that the high temp. won't neutralize.
 
Poultry should be cooked to 165 in the breast and 180 in the thighs and legs.

The 40-140 is the danger zone where meat, if allowed to dwell in that temp range for more than 3 hours (some say 4, but I am a little conservative) will begin to hatch bad things. I don't know anyone though who would let meat or poultry sit on that range more than one hour let alone 3 or 4.

Hope you enjoyed the turkey!
 
40 to 140º is the heat range that bacteria grows at a very fast rate. Health dept allow you 4 hours in that range, as John said, that is from slaughter to the cooker. If the meat stays in the danger zone too long and the bacteria count gets too high, when it is killed the dead bacteria is toxic and that is what makes people sick.
Poultry needs to go to 175 to 180 in the thigh or if just doing a breast 160º is the target.
Jim
 
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