Safe Turkey Stuffing

Question: The last time the family gathered together for dinner was a very memorable occasion--we all got sick. We had turkey, and then our doctor had a lot of patients. He said we had food poisoning, and that the stuffing was probably responsible. Is there any way to avoid this without eliminating the stuffing?

Answer: Harmful food bacteria can grow in stuffing. This may be avoided by getting the stuffing to a high temperature quickly, and one way to accomplish this is to prepare the stuffing separately.

However, if you would rather stuff the turkey, do so just before you cook it. Stuff the turkey loosely, and remove the stuffing right after the turkey is done.

Neil Solomon is the author of “Sick & Tired of Being Sick & Tired,” Wynwood Press. If you have a medical question, write to Dr. Solomon, P.O. Box 36184, Baltimore, Md. 21285-6184. Solomon cannot give personal replies but will answer as many questions as possible in his column.