Table 1.
Publicized minimum recommended cooking temperatures in North America to reduce exposure to foodborne pathogens.
| Food category | Example items | Temperature | Rest time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leftovers & casseroles | N/A | 74°C (165°F) | None |
| Poultry | Chicken, turkey, duck, and goose; whole or parts | 74°C (165°F) | None |
| Ground meats | Turkey, chicken | 74°C (165°F) | None |
| Beef, pork, veal, and lamb | 71°C (160°F) | None | |
|
| |||
| Fresh beef, veal, and lamb | Steaks, roasts, and chops | 63°C (145°F) | 3 minutes |
| Seafood | Fin fish, shrimp, lobster, and crabs, clams, oysters, and mussels; scallops | 63°C (145°F) or cook until flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork | None |
| Pork and ham | Fresh pork/raw ham | 63°C (145°F) | 3 minutes |
| Precooked ham (to reheat) | 60°C (140°F) | None | |
Adapted from U.S. cooking guidelines (http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html). In Canada, similar recommendations exist, except that whole and stuffed poultry should be cooked to at least 85°C (185°F) (see “safe internal cooking temperatures” at http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/). Rest time refers to the number of minutes needed at the recommended temperature to inhibit at least 6.5log10 units of Salmonella, to be in compliance with the USDA performance standard for lethality (http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FRPubs/95-033F/95-033F_Appendix_A.htm) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)—Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) 9 CFR section 318.17(a)(1) (http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2008/janqtr/9cfr318.17.html). Health Canada recently reduced the minimum internal cooking temperature recommendation for whole poultry from 85°C to 82°C based on Salmonella research [23].