GIVING THANKS FOR UPDATED GUIDELINES.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

Don't panic about getting the Thanksgiving turkey on the table. Now that time is short, keep it simple, concentrating on what you can easily execute in the next two days.

The big news this year is that the USDA now considers a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F in a whole turkey safe enough to eliminate pathogens and viruses. Previously, the agency recommended 180 degrees F.

This means shorter cooking times. Use a food or meat thermometer in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast to check. Consumers can cook the turkey to higher temperatures, if desired, depending on personal preference.

``I wouldn't want to eat turkey at that temperature (165 degrees F), even though it is safe,'' says Mary Clingman, director of the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line with a staff of 55 women who field questions from consumers -- some 100,000 last year and 10,000 on Thanksgiving Day.

At 165 degrees, the breast will be pinkish and the thigh will have pink juices, she notes. ``For the ideal turkey, I want the stuffing to be 165 degrees F, the breast 170 degrees F and the thigh 180 degrees F.'' The thigh meat is more bouncy (and less tender) at 170 than 180 degrees F, she notes, adding that is it tough to overcook thigh meat.

To avoid overcooking the breast, she advises placing a piece of foil over the breast to cover it the last half or third of the cooking time.

Be aware that the USDA did not change their cooking timetables.

``Cooking charts are guidelines at best,'' says Clingman. Times vary with oven temperature, bird size, whether stuffed or not, the height of the sides of the cooking pan and the pan material (stainless, aluminum, etc.), if basted and how often, and temperature of the bird when roasting began.

Although Butterball recommends cooking turkeys at 325 degrees F, they can also be cooked safely at higher temperatures for less time, if desired, adds Clingman.

``We all want a turkey that looks picture-perfect,'' she says, noting that cooking a turkey slowly and gently, the traditional way, on a rack in a shallow open pan with skin oiled, will yield excellent results. There's no need to flip, baste, add water, cover, etc.

``Basting is like putting water on a raincoat,'' reminds Clingman. It's not going to permeate the meat.

Television show host Rachael Ray opts for ``cooking two (10- to 12-pound) birds (unstuffed) instead of one large one because they cook in half the time plus you get twice as many legs. Two small birds also take up less space.

She brushes the turkey skin with olive oil or butter, sprinkles it with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper, and then cooks the birds (starting them upside down, then flipping halfway through the cooking time) at 350 to 375 degrees F for 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours. ``In my family, we pull the turkey out at 170 to 175 degrees F.'' Overcooking the breast in small birds is a non-issue, because the birds cook more evenly, like a chicken.

When it comes to food safety, Kathy Bernard, technical information specialist/project coordinator, USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, emphasizes that the turkey should be cut up into smaller pieces and refrigerated within two hours of completion of cooking. Don't refrigerate the entire carcass as cold air needs to get to the smaller pieces quickly.

Wash cutting boards with hot water and dish detergent and rinse with clear water -- or wash in a dishwasher. To disinfect boards, flood the surface with a mixture of one tablespoon unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water and allow to stand several minutes. Rinse with clear water and air dry or pat dry with clean paper towels.

Bottom line -- don't overcook the turkey. The new 165 degrees F internal temperature for turkey should help considerably and put consumers at ease.

For help, the USDA toll-free hotline is [phone] or you can go online at www.fsis.usda.gov/.