Page 57 - Turkey Book from Meathead

reat all raw fowl with great care. There is a good
chance that it has Salmonella, Campylobacter, or some other pathogenic bacteria on it. Research shows that about two thirds of modern poultry has been contaminated by the time you get it home. That's just a fact of life nowadays. But don't worry. Cooking kills bacteria. If you cook poultry properly, you are perfectly safe.
How do so many birds get so yucky? Pathogens are everywhere. They are in the soil and in the air. Even “free range,” “pasture raised,” and “organic” birds are easily contaminated because they scratch and peck in dirt and grass that is teeming with bacteria, and because they eat insects, worms, larvae, seeds, etc. They often step in each other's poop and they peck in it. You can't prevent it unless you put them in diapers and hazmat suits.
Most turkeys are grown by “independent” farmers who work under contract to big brand marketers like Perdue. They are highly competitive because they know that we shop for bargains, so they use ecient, inexpensive, mass production
T ETINOTPYRK EKIL YEKRUT WAR ELDNAH