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Cooking for Groups A Volunteer's Guide to Food Savvy Consumer: Cooking for Groups - A Volunteer's Guide to Food Safety
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When You Cook

Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, casseroles, and other food. Check temperature in several places to be sure the food is evenly heated. Wash the thermometer with hot, soapy water after use.

Several types of thermometers are available, including:

Internal Cooking Temperatures

Product °F

Egg & Egg Dishes

Eggs

Cook until yolk & white are firm.

Egg casseroles

160

Egg sauces, custards

160

Ground Meat & Meat Mixtures

Turkey, Chicken

165

Beef, Veal, Lamb, Pork

160

Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb

Medium Rare

145

Medium

160

Well Done

170

Fresh Pork

Medium

160

Well Done

170

Ham

Fresh (raw)

160

Fully cooked (to reheat)

140

Roast Beef

Cooked commercially, vacuum sealed, and ready- to- eat

140

Poultry

Chicken, Turkey— whole

180

Chicken, Turkey— dark meat

180

Poultry— breast

170

Duck & Goose

180

Stuffing

Cooked alone or in bird

165

Sauces, Soups, Gravies, Marinades

Used with raw meat, poultry, or fish

Bring to a boil.

Seafood

Fin Fish

Cook until opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

Shrimp, lobster, crab

Should turn red and flesh should become pearly opaque.

Scallops

Should turn milky white or opaque and firm.

Clams, mussels, oysters

Cook until shells open.

Leftovers

165

Note: These temperatures are recommended for consumer cooking. They are not intended for processing, institutional, or foodservice preparation. Food Service Workers should consult their state or local food code, or health department.

Never partially cook food for finishing later because you increase the risk of bacterial growth on the food. Bacteria are killed when foods reach a safe internal temperature.

Don’t use recipes in which eggs remain raw or only partially cooked. Eggs should be prepared immediately after breaking. When possible, substitute pasteurized eggs for raw eggs in cooked dishes.

When preparing food in the oven, set the oven to at least 325 °F. Cook food to the safe recommended temperature. Check internal temperature in several places with a food thermometer.

If a convection oven is used to prepare food, you may reduce oven temperature 25 °F. Refer to manufacturer’s instructions for additional information.

A microwave oven can be used to prepare food, but care must be taken to make sure food reaches a safe temperature throughout.

For information on cooking times for large quantities of food, contact your health department. Check with your local library or bookstore for books on quantity cooking.


Introduction -- Foodborne Illness: What You Need To Know -- What Is Foodborne Illness?
How Bacteria Get in Food -- In Case of Suspected Foodborne Illness -- Fight BAC! ™ -- When You Plan
When You Shop -- When You Store Food -- When You Prepare Food
When You Cook -- Internal Cooking Temperatures -- Danger Zone -- When You Chill Food
When You Transport Food -- When You Reheat Food -- When You Keep Food Hot
When You Keep Food Cold -- When You Serve Food -- Keep It Cold -- Keep It Hot -- When You Finish Up
Cold Storage Chart -- Foods Purchased Refrigerated -- Shelf- Stable Storage Chart -- Additional Resources

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