Why is a minimum internal temperature important while cooking? (2023)

What does minimum internal cooking temperature mean?

Cooking Temperature Requirements. Minimum internal temperature of 165℉ (74℃) for less than 1 second applies to: Poultry – including whole or ground chicken, turkey, or duck. Stuffing made with TCS (Temperature Control for Safety)ingredients. Stuffed meat, seafood, poultry, or pasta.

Inadequate cooking is a common cause of food poisoning. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked foods, such as from hands, chopping boards or utensils, can also cause food poisoning. Most foods, especially meat, poultry, fish and eggs, should be cooked thoroughly to kill most types of food poisoning bacteria.

Foods need to reach a high enough internal temperature to kill bacteria that can cause foodborne illness.

*All parts of the food must reach a temperature of at least 165°F for 15 seconds. Reheating must be done rapidly, within 2 hours after being removed from refrigeration. Foods reheated in a microwave oven must be reheated so that all parts of the food reach a temperature of at least 165°F.

The coldest part of the fridge should be between 0 degrees Celcius and 5 degrees Celcius (32 degrees Fahrenheit and 41 degrees Fahrenheit). You could use a probe thermometer to check if food is being kept hot (above 63 degrees Celcius) or cold (below 8 degrees Celcius).

Cooking food at high temperatures changes its chemical structure, producing toxic products called NFCs, such as trans-fatty acids (TFAs) and advanced glycation end-products (AGEs).

The lower the temperature, the slower the enzyme activity, chemical reactions, and microbial growth. The term psychrophile is applied only to microorganisms growing from -5 to 20°C with an optimum growth temperature between 12 and 15°C. Another important term for refrigerated (0–7°C) foods is psychrotrophs.

Low-temperature cooking helps preserve the nutritional values of food because it prevents the loss of those nutrients most sensitive to high temperatures.

165°F is minimum internal cooking temperature.

It is a myth that bacteria are killed at temperatures below 40 degrees. In fact, bacteria growth is slowed, but not stopped. The only way to kill bacteria by temperature is by cooking food at temperatures of 165 degrees or more. Bacteria also die in highly acidic environments like pickle juice.

What are the minimum and recommended internal temperatures for reheating potentially hazardous food?

The State Sanitary Code now requires that the entire mass of all cooked and refrigerated potentially hazardous food which is to be reheated must be reheated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit or above within two hours, and held above 140 degrees Fahrenheit until served.

If food has been hygienically prepared, cooled quickly after cooking (or reheating) and stored cold, reheating more than once should not increase the risk of illness. However, prolonged storage and repeated reheating will affect the taste, texture, and sometimes the nutritional quality of foods.

The "Danger Zone" (40 °F-140 °F)

Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 ° and 140 °F, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes.

Myth: You shouldn't put hot foods in the refrigerator.

Fact: Hot food can be placed in the refrigerator. Large amounts of food should be divided into small portions and put in shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator.

Some people worry that cooking foods at a low temperature for a long time in a slow cooker or in a slow oven is unhealthful. But it's OK. Cooking meat for four hours at 250 degrees does not present a health risk and will not "incubate" bacteria. Commercial slow-cookers heat at between 200 and 300 degrees.

The advantages of low-temperature cooking

The natural flavors present in your food will stand out thanks to the low temperature. Unlike high-temperature cooking which “crushes” the flavors. By cooking at a low temperature, your food retains all of its nutrients, minerals, and vitamins.

The slow cooker cooks foods slowly at a low temperature, generally between 170 and 280 degrees F, over several hours. The combination of direct heat from the pot, lengthy cooking and steam, destroys bacteria making the slow cooker a safe process for cooking foods.

Cooking May Destroy Enzymes in Food

In fact, nearly all enzymes are deactivated at temperatures over 117°F (47°C) ( 2 , 3 ).

Temperature: Hold TCS food at the correct temperature. Hot food: 135˚F (57˚C) or higher.

Must be reheated to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) for 15 seconds within two hours.

What is the minimum internal cooking temperature for food mixtures containing hazardous foods?

(5) A food mixture containing poultry, egg, meat, fish or another hazardous food shall be cooked to reach a temperature of at least 74 degrees Celsius for at least 15 seconds in all parts of the mixture.

Temperature: Internal temperature of 165˚F (74˚C) for fifteen seconds.

Don't Overcook Your Pork

Stuffed pork chops should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.

Current federal recommendations list various safe cooking temperatures for poultry, including 180°F for whole chickens and 170°F for breasts. The USDA said it wants to clarify that the key temperature for safety is 165°F.

Cook beef, pork, veal, and lamb roasts, steaks, and chops to at least 145° F (63° C), with a 3 minute rest time. Cook ground beef, veal, lamb, and pork to at least 160° F (71° C). Cook ground poultry to 165° F (74° C). Cook all poultry to minimal safe internal temperature of 165° F (74° C).

Cook pork, roasts, and chops to 145 ºF as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source, with a three-minute rest time before carving or consuming. This will result in a product that is both safe and at its best quality—juicy and tender.

Chill: Refrigerate promptly. Bacteria can multiply rapidly if left at room temperature or in the “Danger Zone” between 40°F and 140°F. Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below and your freezer at 0°F or below, and know when to throw food out before it spoils.

Plants foods, like rice, pasta, or vegetables, for hot holding must be cooked to at least 135°F. When food is found to be below safe cooking temperatures: - Continue to cook it until it reaches the required temperature.

The safe internal pork cooking temperature for fresh cuts is 145° F. To check doneness properly, use a digital cooking thermometer. Fresh cut muscle meats such as pork chops, pork roasts, pork loin, and tenderloin should measure 145° F, ensuring the maximum amount of flavor.

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has determined that it is just as safe to cook pork to 145°F with a 3-minute rest time as it is to cook it to 160°F with no rest time, the agency said.

Can you eat pork chops at 135?

Pork should be cooked medium to medium-rare.

Like all the best stuff. Now, we pull pork from the heat at 135° and let the temperature rise to 145° as it rests, landing it right in the sweet spot: perfectly pink and USDA approved. (Yeah, the USDA changed its standards too.)

The USDA says that as long as all parts of the chicken have reached a minimum internal temperature of 165°, it is safe to eat. Color does not indicate doneness. The USDA further explains that even fully cooked poultry can sometimes show a pinkish tinge in the meat and juices.

Can It Still Be Pink At 165 Degrees Temperature? Yes. It's perfectly normal for the cooked chicken to still be slightly pink at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chemical changes occur during cooking. Oven gases in a heated gas or electric oven react chemically with hemoglobin in the meat tissues to give it a pink tinge. Often meat of younger birds shows the most pink because their thinner skins permit oven gases to reach the flesh.