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I bought some raw turkey drumsticks and put them in a plastic vegetable bag at the store. When I got it out of the grocery bag to put it in the fridge I saw that the shrink wrap had broken and the outside of the package was wet (inside the plastic vegetable bag). Some of my other groceries looked very slightly wet so I assume they could possibly have gotten a little turkey liquid on them. How do I clean them? I wiped the other groceries with vinegar using two different paper towels, I'm not comfortable using bleach on food though. Can I rinse the cucumber and oranges really well or is that not enough?

And is it safe to eat the part of turkey that was exposed? I assume the plastic film was too thin for heavy turkey drumsticks.

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    If you're concerned about cucumbers and oranges, peeling them seems like a very straightforward solution.
    – dbmag9
    May 10, 2018 at 23:31

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I would proceed considering the rest of your product was contaminated. That being said anything that was contaminated can still be brought to a temperature of 165°F to ensure safety. (Oranges can make a good sauce and cucumbers are great for pickling. Many other vegetable are great fully cooked.) I would not risk treating the surface as contaminants can spread. For this reason I always keep a separate bag for product I eat raw and a separate bag for product that could pose a cross-contamination risk.

As for the exposed turkey I would assume safety based on what you told us. Unless you believe the package was tampered with your biggest drawback to exposed turkey is the may drying out.

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    Note that the 165 degrees is Fahrenheit. This should be specfied (too small to edit but important).
    – Chris H
    May 11, 2018 at 7:25
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    Sorry, this is a over-cautious, you don't need to cook everything to make it safe! Wash the vegetables thoroughly in soapy water, then rinse them in clean water. Peel the oranges and cucumbers before you eat them, job done.
    – GdD
    May 11, 2018 at 9:15
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    @GdD of course this is overly cautious. Most food safety precautions are. If this were my product I would still follow this plan. First are you certain that the contamination is only on the skin? Did you verify there were no punctures? Are you certain cucumber and oranges were the only things in the bag? If you feel a less csutious approach is warranted i urge you to write a competing answer.
    – Summer
    May 11, 2018 at 12:52
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    @ChrisH I agree its important and editted accordingly
    – Summer
    May 11, 2018 at 12:53
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    @ChrisH I am in the US (hence my awkward assumption of F) and poultry is particularly feared here. I wasnt being snarky when I suggested an alternative answer. It would be good to have alternative views as thats what SE is predicated on.
    – Summer
    May 11, 2018 at 13:12

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