Food Marketing Institute, American Meat Institute
Virginia Cooperative Extension
Developed
by: Food Marketing Institute and American Meat Institute in
cooperation with National Livestock and Meat Board, U.S. Department
of Agriculture, and Food and Drug Administration*
Ground meat and ground poultry are more perishable than most foods. In the danger zone between 40 degrees and 140 degrees F, bacteria can multiply rapidly. Since you can't see, smell, or taste bacteria, keep ground meats cold to keep them safe.
Safe
Handling
- Choose
ground meat packages that are cold and tightly wrapped.
The meat surface exposed to air will be red; interior of
fresh meat will be dark.
- Put
refrigerated and frozen foods in your grocery cart last
and make the grocery store your last stop before home.
- Pack
perishables in an ice chest if it will take you more than
an hour to get home.
- Place
ground meat and ground poultry in the refrigerator or freezer
immediately.
- Defrost
frozen ground meats in the refrigerator--never at room temperature.
If microwave defrosting, cook immediately.
Safe
Storage
- Set
your refrigerator at 40 degrees F or colder and your freezer
at 0 degrees F or colder.
- Keep
uncooked ground meat and ground poultry in the refrigerator;
cook or freeze within 1 to 2 days.
- Use
or freeze cooked meat and poultry stored in the refrigerator
within 3 to 4 days.
- For
best quality, store frozen raw ground meats no longer than
3 to 4 months; cooked meats, 2 to 3 months.
Keep
EVERYTHING clean--hands, utensils, counters, cutting boards
and sinks. That way, your food will stay as safe as possible.
- Always
wash hands thoroughly in hot soapy water before preparing
foods and after handling raw meat
- Don't
let raw meat or poultry juices touch ready-to-eat foods
either in the refrigerator or during preparation.
- Don't
put cooked foods on the same plate that held raw meat or
poultry.
- Wash
utensils that have touched raw meat with hot, soapy water
before using them for cooked meats.
- Wash
counters, cutting. boards and other surfaces raw meats /
have touched. And t don't forget to keep the inside of your
refrigerator clean.
Cooking
kills harmful bacteria. Be sure ground meat and ground poultry
are cooked thoroughly.
Cook
It Safely
- The
center of patties and meat loaf should not be pink and the
juices should run clear.
- Crumbled
ground meats should be cooked until no pink color remains.
- Ground
meat patties and loaves are safe when they reach 160 degrees
F in the center; ground poultry patties and loaves, 165
degrees F.
Cook
It Evenly
- During
broiling, grilling, or cooking on the stove. turn meats
over at least once.
- When
baking. set oven no lower than 325 degrees F
- If
microwaving, cover meats. Midway through cooking. turn patties
over and rotate the dish: rotate a meat loaf: and stir ground
meats once or twice Let microwaved meats stand to complete
cooking process.
After
cooking, refrigerate leftovers immediately. Separate into
small portions for fast cooling
To reheat
all leftovers. cover and heat to 165 degrees or until hot
and steaming throughout.
CONSUMER
GUIDELINES |
COLD
STORAGE TIMES
FOR GROUND MEAT AND GROUND POULTRY |
Refrigerator (40 degrees F or below) |
Product |
Days |
Uncooked
ground meat and ground poultry (bulk or patties) |
1
to 2 |
Cooked
ground meat and ground poultry (hamburgers, meat loaf
and dishes containing ground meats). |
3
to 4 |
Cool
to 40 degrees F within 4 hours. |
1
to 2 |
Freezer (0 degrees F or below) |
Product |
Months |
Uncooked
ground meat and ground poultry (bulk or patties) |
3
to 4 |
Cooked
ground meat and ground poultry (hamburgers, meat loaf
and dishes containing ground meats) |
2
to 3 |
INTERNAL TEMPERATURES FOR SAFE COOKING |
Product |
Temperature |
Uncooked
ground meat |
160
degrees F |
Uncooked
ground poultry |
165
degrees F |
All
cooked leftovers, reheated |
165
degrees F |
For
more information about the safe handling and preparation of
ground meat and ground poultry, call USDA's Meat and Poultry
Hotline toll-free at:
1-800-535-4555
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday
For
information on educational programs, please call your local
Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
Bacteria
are part of our environment. Where there is food there may
be bacteria. Proper food handling and cooking is the best
way to prevent food-borne illness.
Generally,
most at risk for developing food-borne illness are children,
the elderly, and those who have chronic illnesses or compromised
immune systems.
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not represent
NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears by permission
of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
Developed
by Food
Marketing Institute
800 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20006
and
American
Meat Institute
Post Of lice Box 3556
Washington, DC 20007
in
cooperation with
National
Livestock & Meat Board
444 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago IL 60611
U.S.
Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and Inspection Service
Extension Service
14th Street & Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20250
Food
and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
Publication
Number
458-016
,
October 1996
|