Food Safety While Hiking, Camping

& Boating

USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

1-888-MPHotline

(888-674-6854)

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health

agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring

that the nation’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products

is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.

Food Safety Information

United States Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service

PhotoDisc

“It’s a hock lock,” answers the technical information specialist in Washington, DC, answering the

USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline’s toll-free number

at 1 (888) MPHotline (888-674-6854).

“A what?” the caller responds.

“A hock lock secures the hind legs — or hock — of

a chicken or turkey. It can be made of heatresistant nylon or metal, and it’s perfectly safe to

leave it in the bird while it roasts. However,” the

Hotline specialist goes on, “it’s more difficult to

get a bird done evenly, especially in the leg joints,

if the legs are locked or trussed together.”

Hock locks are just one of the many functional

items - made from a variety of plastics, metal,

paper, and cotton - that producers may use on

their products. Establishments must have on file

documentation that the materials are safe for the

intended or expected use with meat and poultry.

However, sometimes cooks use them in ways other

than intended by the manufacturer. By mistake,

consumers have left the paper- or plasticwrapped giblets inside the turkey during cooking,

neglected to take the plastic protector off ham

bones, and “cooked” the absorbent paper-andplastic pad which can be packaged under meat in

foam trays.

Do these and other mistakes leave the food

unsafe to eat? Here are the answers from the

USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline.

Hock Locks and Other Accoutrements

Say, what’s this plastic thing holding the legs together on our turkey? Won’t it melt if we put it inthe oven?” asks a confused cook. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has the answer to

this and other food safety questions about meat and poultry.

Leaving the paper- or plastic-wrapped

giblets inside the turkey during cooking:

Some giblets are paper wrapped before being

inserted into the poultry body cavity. In this case,

there would be no concern if the giblets are

accidentally cooked inside the bird to a safe

temperature. If giblets were packed in a plastic

bag, and the bag has been altered or melted by

the cooking process, do not use the giblets or the

poultry because harmful chemicals may have

migrated into the surrounding meat. If the plastic

bag was not altered, the giblets and poultry

should be safe to use as long as the meat is fully

cooked.

Neglecting to take the plastic protector

off ham bones:

The plastic bone guard covering the exposed bone

is used to keep the bone from breaking the outer

wrap. If left on the meat during cooking, a 325 or

350 °F oven temperature may not melt the plastic

but still give off an abnormal chemical odor or

taste. Cutting away the meat around the exposed

area will not necessarily solve this potential food

safety problem because the penetration of the

chemical into the meat will be unknown. If meat

is cooked in a closed container, the chemicals

may penetrate the entire piece of meat. USDA

advises not to eat the ham; discard it.
Food Safety Questions?

Ask Karen!

FSIS’ automated response

system can provide food safety

information 24/7

AskKaren.gov

The USDA is an equal opportunity

 provider and employer.

 Reviewed October 2009--No Changes

Hock Locks and Other Accoutrements

“Cooking” the absorbent paper and

plastic pad which can be packaged under

meat in foam trays:

The absorbent pad is clearly not intended to be

cooked; however, if this happens and the

packaging materials remain unaltered (that is, do

not melt or come apart), the cooked meat will

not pose an imminent health hazard. If the

packaging materials have melted or changed

shape in some other way, do not use the

product.

“To net or not” — leaving ham or turkey

netting on during cooking:

 Sometimes, when removing the packaging around

a ham or turkey, consumers find an inner netting

surrounding the meat product. Its purpose is to

hold boned meat and poultry in a specific shape.

The netting can be of a fabric, plastic, or plastic

and rubber. The fabric netting can be used with

food. It may burn a bit if high heat is used, but

there is no concern of transferring unsafe

chemicals to the meat. Some plastics or plastic

and rubber may be used and are made specifically

for use in cooking. However, the label must

have specific cooking directions for the meat

to be safe to eat.

The use of a pop-up temperature

indicator and double checking with a

food thermometer:

Pop-up temperature indicators are constructed

from a food-approved nylon. The indicator pops

up when the food has reached the final

temperature for safety and doneness. Pop-up

temperature indicators have been produced since

1965 and are reliable to within 1 to 2 °F if

accurately placed in the product. It is also

suggested that the temperature be checked with

a conventional thermometer in several places to

insure safety.

FSIS encourages the reprint and distribution of this publication for food safety

purposes. However, the included image from PhotoDisc, used under license, is

protected by the copyright laws of the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere, and may

not be saved or downloaded except for printing of this publication.

Call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

If you have a question

about meat, poultry, or

egg products, call the

USDA Meat and

Poultry Hotline

toll free at

1-888-MPHotline

(1-888-674-6854);

TTY: 1-800-256-7072.

 The Hotline is open year-round

Monday through Friday

from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

ET (English or

Spanish). Recorded

food safety messages

are available 24 hours

a day. Check out the

FSIS Web site at

www.fsis.usda.gov.

Send E-mail questions to MPHotline.fsis@usda.gov.