Meat Temperature Chart And Food Safety

BBQ Grill Academy shared that knowing the proper meat temperatures to cook or grill your foods is extremely important. Undercooked or raw foods can be hazardous and cause diseases.

Sometimes meats are not cooked to safe temperatures; for example, steak medium-rare is cooked to 130F to 135F degrees, but according to foodandsafety.gov, beef, lamb, and pork should be cooked to a temperature of at least 145F degrees. The USDA also has minimum cooking temperature recommendations and lists the minimum safe temperature for steaks at 145F degrees.

These recommendations should be followed as harmful bacteria cannot be seen or tasted but can cause serious diseases. Knowing the right temperatures to cook your meats is essential, and guessing when your food is done or undercooking your meats can be risky. Cooking meat whether is pork, chicken or turkey should be done with consideration of the USDA recommendations.

t would be best if you never guessed the meat’s temperature or when it is done. Follow the USDA minimum meat temperature recommendations and use a temperature gauge to check the meat’s temperature. You do not need anything fancy; a simple temperature gauge like the one below will do the job.

Food Handling Safety Tips –  According To The USDA

Harmful bacteria cannot be detected by smell, taste, or seen; therefore, it is important to follow these food and safety tips from the USDA when handling food.

• Clean – Disinfect—Wash hands and kitchen surfaces often.
• Separate – Organize – Separate raw meat from other foods, do not allow contact. If you come into contact with raw food, wash your hands before touching other food.
• Cook Smart – Follow the temperature guide and cook to the right temperature.
• Chill – Refrigerate food promptly after coming back home from the market.

To read the full article with graphics and videos, click here.