Is a hamburger done when it's brown in the middle? Is poultry safe to eat when the juices run clear?
June 7th was World Food Safety day, so let’s talk about food safety with safe cooking temperatures. The federal government estimates there to be about 48 million cases of foodborne illness each year. These illnesses result in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 death each year. One way to reduce the risk of foodborne illness is to use the correct cooking temperatures.
Here are the safe cooking temperatures for different types of food.
By using a food thermometer to check whether food has reached a safe internal temperature, you can make sure that it is hot enough to kill harmful germs that cause food poisoning (foodborne illness). For reasons of personal preference, you may choose to cook food to higher temperatures.
Beef, Pork, Veal, and Lamb (steaks, chops roasts) - 145°F (62.8°C) and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes
Ground Meats (beef, pork, veal, lamb) - 160°F (71.1°C)
Ham, Fresh or Smoked (uncooked) - 145°F (62.8°C) and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes
Fully Cooked Ham (to reheat) - 140°F (60°C) for ham packaged in USDA plants, 165 °F (73.9°C) for all other hams
All Poultry (whole birds, parts, ground poultry and stuffing) - 165°F (73.9°C)
Eggs - 160°F (71.1°C)
Fish and Shellfish - 145°F (62.8°C)
Casseroles - 165°F (73.9°C)
To learn more about food safety visit food.unl.edu.
