Many incidents of food-borne illness from E. coli or Salmonella bacteria are caused by eating undercooked meat. In fact, according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection service, millions of cases of food-borne illness occur every year. For many, this means a few days of unpleasantness. For some, it can mean death. In either case, that doesn’t have to be you or your family. To ensure it’s safe, meat should be cooked to internal temperatures specified by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). That burger or bird may look like its ready, but the color of cooked meat is not necessarily an indicator that it is done. The USDA offers some basic tips to consider when preparing a meal:
- Keep your area clean. Wash hands and clean your prep surfaces often. Use hot, soapy water.
- Separate, don’t cros-contaminate. Keep raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices away from other foods.
- Cook your foods to the proper temperatures—Beef, veal and lamb steaks must reach 145 °F; all pork, 160 °F; Ground beef, veal and lamb to 160 °F; and poultry must reach a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.
- Chill leftovers promptly. Discard any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature was above 90 °F). Use shallow containers to immediately store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer. Use cooked leftovers within 4 days.
Check out the USDA’s site for much more information about safely preparing and cooking food.
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