International Food Safety Council September 1999 * National Food Safety Education MonthSM Food Safety Training for Retail Food Establishments "Cook It Safely - It's a Matter of Degrees" Training Session

SM

Week 1: Proper Minimum Internal Cooking Temperature

In this session, you will be reviewing the correct minimum internal temperatures recommended by the FDA Model Food Code for potentially hazardous foods, including microwave cooking. You will then test your staff's recall using a fun quiz.

• Begin discussion by reviewing the importance of keeping foods out of the "Temperature Danger Zone" - the temperature range between 41 ° F (5 ° C) and 140 ° F (60 ° C) where foodborne bacteria grow quickly and make food unsafe. It is because of this temperature range that foods must be cooked thoroughly - to temperatures above 140 ° F (60 ° C) - and held either above 140 ° F (60 ° C) or below 41 ° F (5 ° C).

• Explain that harmful microorganisms in food can be reduced to a safe level or even eliminated by thorough cooking.

  • Different foods have different minimum internal cooking temperatures, based on the characteristic of the food (such as whether it has high or low fat content). The pathogens normally found on some foods (such as Salmonella, typically found on chicken) are killed only at a high temperature; while Trichinella, typically found in pork, is easily killed at a lower temperature.

• Explain that the color, smell, look, or texture of a food is not enough to determine if it is cooked through or not. Foods must also be cooked for a minimum amount of time at the appropriate temperature. The FDA Model Food Code recommends minimum cooking times and temperatures to kill pathogens on food.

  • To help determine what minimum internal temperature a menu item should be, have employees first determine the main ingredient of the menu item. These questions can help:

    • Does the dish contain chicken, beef, fish, or pork?

    • Does the dish contain ground meat?

    • Is the menu item ham or bacon?

    • Is the menu item a casserole, stuffed meat or pasta?

    • Is it a beef or pork roast?

    • Does the dish contain eggs?

    • Does the menu item contain a previously cooked food, such as leftover chicken?

    • Is the meat in the dish field-dressed or commercial game?

    Minimum Internal Cooking Temperatures Chart 140°F (60°C) for all foods that will be held hot prior to service. 145°F (63°C) for 15 seconds for fish; seafood; veal; lamb; mutton; pork; pork roasts and cured pork (e.g. ham); raw shell eggs for immediate service; and any fish and meat not specifically mentioned below. 155°F (68°C) for 15 seconds for ground beef, ratites (e.g. ostrich, emu); injected meats; ground fish or ground meat (e.g. pork, beef); raw eggs not prepared for immediate service; and inspected game animals. 165°F (74°C) for 15 seconds for poultry; wild game; stuffed fish; stuffed meat; stuffed pasta; stuffed poultry; stuffed ratites (ostrich or emu); stuffing containing fish, meat, poultry or ratites. Also, any dishes containing previously cooked foods. 165°F (74°C) for all raw animal foods cooked in a microwave. The food should be rotated or stirred at least midway through cooking process, covered to retain moisture, and allowed to stand covered for two minutes following cooking to allow for post cooking heat to rise. Whole beef roasts, pork roasts and ham are safely cooked after reaching the minimum internal temperature for the prescribed amount of time as follows: 130°F (54°C) for 121 minutes 132°F (56°C) for 77 minutes 134°F (57°C) for 47 minutes 136°F (58°C) for 23 minutes 138°F (59°C) for 19 minutes 140°F (60°C) for 12 minutes 142°F (61°C) for 8 minutes 144°F (62°C) for 5 minutes 145°F (63°C) for 3 minutes

  • For example, if the menu item contains pork, you would know to cook the item to a minimum internal cooking temperature of 145°F (63°C) for 15 seconds. If the menu item contains previously cooked food, the item should be cooked to 165°F (74°C). If the menu item is stuffed pasta, then the item should be cooked to 165°F (74°C) for 15 seconds.

• After the discussion, pass out the activity sheet for Week #1. Have employees match the correct food with the correct minimum internal temperature. If you'd like, give a prize to the first employee with all correct answers!

Week 1 Reference: ServSafe® Coursebook

• Chapter 7
  Cooking Temperature Charts - Pages 7-13 & 7-15 Copyright© 1999 by The Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association

 
^TM/SM International Food Safety Council
* Distributed August 1999 for use in September 1999 as part of the International Food Safety Council's National Food Safety Education Month.

National Food Safety Education MonthSM is sponsored by the International Food Safety Council, a restaurant and foodservice industry coalition committed to food safety education, formed by the National Restaurant Association's Educational Foundation. For more information about enrolling in the Council free of charge, call 800/456-0111.