Target is joining the Thanksgiving meal-deal race with a pitch that pairs budget-friendly staples with fresh twists on holiday favorites.

The Minneapolis-based retailer's $30 offer is about $10 more than last year's meal, which served four people, but Target says this year's version serves six, keeping the cost at about $5 per person.

The deal includes nine grocery items: a Butterball turkey weighing up to 10 pounds, a 3-pound bag of russet potatoes, cranberry sauce, two cans of green beans, cream of mushroom soup, fried onions, turkey stuffing mix, turkey gravy and two take-and-bake baguettes, according to a release shared with Fox News Digital.

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"Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving are such joyful moments for our guests, and Target is making it easy and budget-friendly for them to plan meals that include plenty of familiar favorites plus some of the latest food trends," John Conlin, senior vice president of merchandising for food and beverage at Target, said in a statement.

The offering includes the ingredients to make a green bean casserole, and shoppers should expect to prepare and cook the rest of the meal themselves.

Target is also promoting an expanded selection of $5 sides, pies, appetizers and wine, including new flavors and products.

The deal is valid Nov. 8 through Nov. 29, before tax.

It is not available in Alaska or Hawaii, according to Target.

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A separate deal for a 79-cent-per-pound Good & Gather frozen turkey — not the Butterball turkey included in the meal deal — will begin in November.

Reactions to the $30 deal online were mixed.

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In a Twin Cities Reddit discussion, shoppers focused on the change in quantities, with some debating whether this year's offering had fewer potatoes and more green beans.

Others still saw value, especially as grocery prices in the U.S. remain high. 

"Sounds like a good deal for a meal anyhow," one person wrote.

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Another said grocery stores near them were "significantly more expensive" for the holiday items they needed.

In a Facebook post by consumer journalist Jeff Rossen, one woman commented that a 10-pound turkey "doesn't feed six people at my house."

Another commenter said, "What, no dessert?" noting that the deal doesn't include one.

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Target's announcement comes as other retailers promote their own Thanksgiving meal deals.

Aldi says its meal can feed 10 for less than $39, while Sam's Club has an 11-item feast for 16 people priced at about $160, according to reports. 

Costco, for its part, is offering an online-only bundle for $199.99 that it says serves eight and includes 12 items, including a turkey breast, sides and desserts.

Walmart's $35 meal basket is advertised to feed 10.

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Prices and serving claims vary, and the offers include different foods and levels of preparation. 

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Target's list focuses on ingredients shoppers can use to cook a traditional meal, while Costco's bundle includes prepared sides and desserts.

Finding a moldy piece of produce creates a familiar kitchen gamble, but the risk depends on what's growing and what it's growing on, experts say.

A recent survey out of Germany found that nearly one in three people cut mold off food before eating the rest, a habit that may not remove all toxins.

Fewer than half of respondents knew that cooking or baking does not destroy mycotoxins, which are produced by certain molds and can be invisible in foods. More than a quarter thought heat could destroy them, while another quarter were unsure. 

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The survey, which was conducted by Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, measured reported habits and knowledge, not toxin levels in food or illness.

The report highlighted the limits of relying on sight to judge food safety. 

"Visible mold is reliably recognized and triggers intuitive avoidance," the authors wrote. "But this instinct does not work when food contains toxins without visible mold."

But what to do about moldy food really depends on the item, according to Brian Labus, an infectious disease epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Public Health.

People often confuse ordinary spoilage with the kinds of germs that cause foodborne illness, he told Fox News Digital.

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"Most of the stuff that we're talking about, especially with fruits and vegetables, it's not going to be something that's going to cause a foodborne illness," Labus said. "Those things are gross, but they're not the kind of thing that's going to make you sick."

Firmness is a useful guide when deciding what to do with visible mold, Labus said. 

On a firm fruit such as an apple, he said, mold may remain near the surface, so a person can cut around the affected area. On soft, wet foods, mold can spread more easily through the food. 

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If lettuce or other produce has become mushy, he said, it should be thrown away.

With berries, discard any pieces with visible mold or soft spots, Labus said. Other berries that remain intact and show no signs of mold can be washed and eaten. 

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidance similarly advises throwing out moldy fruit and any pieces touching it, then washing the rest if they show no mold and are not overly mushy.

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Bread is different, Labus said, because mold can grow into the loaf. If mold appears on a slice, he recommends throwing out the bread rather than removing only the visibly affected part. Germany's risk assessment agency recommends discarding moldy, water-rich produce.

Moldy jam or jelly should also be discarded, Labus said.

Some molds can trigger allergic reactions, and certain molds produce mycotoxins, according to the USDA.

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But if you accidentally eat something moldy, Labus said not to panic.

"It's not like you need to run to the doctor or anything like that," he said. "Spit it out and move on with your day."

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People with mold allergies should avoid taking chances with moldy food, while those who are immunocompromised should be especially cautious with food handling overall, Labus said.

Labus also recommends keeping food refrigerated and buying only what you'll use soon — rather than stocking up on a wholesale-size container of berries.

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Washing hands and preventing cross-contamination in the kitchen are more important food safety steps, Labus added. For example, he said, using the same knife on raw chicken and then on vegetables without washing it can spread illness-causing germs.

Multiple customers at a Chili's Grill & Bar reported experiencing chemical burns Wednesday after consuming margaritas that had been prepared with an industrial cleaning chemical that was mistaken for sugar or salt.

The Foothills Health District said the incident unfolded at a restaurant in Forest City, North Carolina.

Three customers consumed the contaminated margaritas, while two restaurant employees also reportedly experienced symptoms after exposure to the chemical, according to the health district.

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According to preliminary findings, the mix-up began Monday when an employee received an industrial degreaser from a contracted worker and placed it in an unmarked container.

The container was then brought inside the restaurant and left in the bar area.

Two days later, an employee preparing the bar for lunch service discovered the unlabeled container and, believing its contents to be sugar or salt, used the chemical to prepare the margarita station, the health district said.

Shortly after the restaurant opened, three customers consumed the contaminated beverages and "immediately experienced discomfort and chemical burns in and around their mouths."

After the customers alerted staff, two employees also tasted the substance and reported similar symptoms.

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In a statement to Fox News Digital, Chili's said the company took immediate action to support those affected.

"We are aware of an isolated incident at our restaurant in Forest City, North Carolina that resulted in injuries to two of our guests and Team Members. Our team took immediate action to support those affected and avoid any further injuries. We are actively investigating the circumstances related to this incident as the health and wellbeing of our guests and Team Members remain our top priority," the company said.

The company’s account differed from the Foothills Health District’s preliminary findings, which said three customers experienced chemical burns after consuming the margaritas.

After the Foothills Health District launched an investigation, the restaurant's food service permit was immediately suspended.

It was quickly reinstated on Thursday after specialists determined the restaurant met all other food safety standards.

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The health district used the incident to remind all food service establishments in North Carolina that chemicals must be properly labeled and stored away from food-handling areas.

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"This incident highlights the importance of proper chemical labeling, storage, and handling in food service establishments, as required by the North Carolina Food Code, to prevent chemical contamination and protect public health," Jason Masters, the health director of Foothills Health District, said in a statement.

The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division is investigating mysterious freezer and refrigerator malfunctions that spoiled food at military bases across the U.S. amid concerns the outages may have been caused by a cyberattack.

Army CID’s Cyber Field Office is working with the Defense Commissary Agency and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service to determine what caused the refrigeration failures at military commissaries in August, an Army CID spokesperson confirmed to Fox News.

Investigators are also working with French law enforcement to understand a series of refrigeration outages in Europe as authorities examine whether the incidents could be connected.

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The story was first reported by Reuters. 

In late August, at least six commissaries, on-base stores where military personnel buy food, suddenly experienced refrigeration malfunctions.

Fort Huachuca in Arizona said in an Aug. 26 Facebook post that its refrigeration units "went into defrost mode" overnight.

"ALL freezers went into defrost mode – ALL frozen food has spoiled," the base said.

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Other affected facilities include F. E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island, Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi, Travis Air Force Base Commissary in California and Fort Irwin in California.

In at least one case, refrigeration units were set to higher temperatures overnight rather than simply turning off, Reuters reported. 

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Several weeks ago, a cyberattack targeted hundreds of French supermarkets, with hackers manipulating refrigerators to reach temperatures of 122 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature spike spoiled large quantities of food and sparked fires across Europe.

The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed the cyberattack, describing it as a "large-scale" assault that affected several major food retailers across the country. 

Fox News Digital's Robert McGreevy contributed to this report.