Harmful contaminants cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to cook food to a safe internal cooking temperature to avoid illness. The minimum internal temperature at which pathogens are destroyed depends upon the type of food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use a clean, sanitized thermometer to measure the temperature by placing the thermometer in the thickest part of the food. In sauces and stews, insert the thermometer at least two inches into the food. Be sure to calibrate thermometers regularly by inserting into a mixture of ice and water and adjusting the reading to 32\u00b0F\/ 0\u00b0C. Thermometers that have been dropped or exposed to extreme temperatures should be recalibrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To ensure the food products being cooked are safe for consumption, use these temperature guidelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Minimum internal temperature of 165\u2109 (74\u2103) for less than 1 second applies to:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Minimum internal temperature of 155\u2109 (68\u2103) for 17 seconds applies to:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Minimum internal temperature of 145\u2109 (63\u2103) for 15 seconds applies to:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Minimum internal temperature of 145\u2109 (63\u2103) for 4 minutes applies to:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When cooking with a microwave oven, the Food Code requires that all potentially hazardous foods containing meat, poultry, fish, or eggs shall be cooked to a minimum temperature of 165\u00baF. Other guidelines to follow when microwaving food include covering the food; rotating or stirring it halfway through the cooking process to compensate for uneven heat distribution; checking the temperature in at least two places to make sure the food is cooked thoroughly; and allowing food to stand covered for two minutes after cooking to obtain temperature equilibrium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While cooking food to the appropriate temperature reduces pathogens, it does not destroy the spores or toxins those pathogens may have produced. This is why safe food handling prior to cooking is also very important.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Achieving the right food temperature makes food safe for consumption by destroying dangerous pathogens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":4248,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[132,129,130,111,131,112,110,69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-catering-small-business","category-college-university-education","category-daycare","category-healthcare","category-hotels-hospitality","category-k12-education","category-restaurant-bars","category-running-your-business"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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Microwaving<\/h3>\n\n\n\n