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Its hard to think about the holidays without thinking
about food — roast ham, tender brisket with gravy, perhaps
even a spicy deep-fried turkey. And don't forget the creamy
mashed potatoes, the pies, the cookies, and all the other special
treats for the holiday season. With these fond thoughts of holiday
foods comes pressure — pressure to prepare everything just
right and pressure to serve safe food to all those guests.
The cookies and mashed potatoes are relatively straightforward,
but how do you know if a turkey or a beef roast is thoroughly
cooked? Is "done" the same as "safe"? The Partnership for Food
Safety Education has launched a food safety campaign in conjunction
with President Clintons Food Safety Initiative. The campaign,
called Fight BAC!®, stresses four simple steps that are
critical to food safety:
- Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often;
- Separate: Don't cross-contaminate;
- Cook: Cook to proper temperatures;
- Chill: Refrigerate promptly.
These four steps are considered by food safety experts to be
critical control points to preventing foodborne illness. A critical
control point is a process or handling practice that has been
identified as being essential or critical in preventing foodborne
illness. These practices, which prevent or control the harmful
bacteria associated with foodborne illness, are under the direct
control of the consumer. They are purchasing, storing, pre-preparing,
cooking, serving, and handling leftovers. Failure to take appropriate
action at these critical points could result in foodborne illness.
Cooking: A Critical Control Point
Food safety experts agree that foods are properly cooked when
they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough
temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause foodborne
illness. How can you tell if food has been heated thoroughly?
The only accurate way is to use a food thermometer, which measures
the internal temperature of cooked meat and poultry. There are
some foods, such as poultry, that will give visual signs of
"doneness," but other foods, such as ground beef, will not.
What Is "Done"?
Websters dictionary defines "doneness" as the condition
of being cooked to the desired degree. While food safety
experts stress the internal temperature that ensures destruction
of pathogens in food, "doneness" reflects subjective qualities
such as the appearance, texture, and optimum flavor of a food.
Recent research has shown that these indicators are not reliable
for safety. Only a food thermometer can be relied upon to accurately
ensure bacterial destruction. Visual signs of doneness should
be reserved for situations in which doneness is reached after
the food has reached a safe temperature.
What is "Safe"?
Poultry
For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook poultry to
higher temperatures. Use a food thermometer to assure that meat and poultry
have reached a safe minimum internal temperature.
Although a whole chicken or turkey and poultry parts will visually
indicate that they have been thoroughly cooked, stuffed poultry
will not. There is no way that a consumer can tell by the juices,
the tenderness or color of the flesh, or even by wiggling a
drumstick if the center of the stuffing has reached 165 °F.
Only by verifying the internal temperature of both the bird
and the stuffing with a food thermometer can a consumer be sure
the product has been thoroughly cooked.
Beef
Beef roasts cooked to 160 °F will generally have very little
pinkness to the meat, and the juices will not be pink or red.
Below the temperature of 160 °F, the center of the roast
will be pink or red, depending on the internal temperature.
A beef roast cooked to 145 °F in the center can be considered
safe since the exterior of the roast would have reached a temperature
high enough to destroy bacteria, unless it is a rolled roast
or one that has been mechanically tenderized. A consumer would
not be able to determine if a roast that was pink in the center
had reached the safe temperature of 145 °F without a food
thermometer.
Pork
Pork roasts are safe when cooked to 160 °F even though the
center of the roast may be somewhat pink. Pork chops may have
just a trace of pink color at this temperature. Again, a consumer
would not be able to determine visually if a pork roast that
was pink in the center had reached a safe temperature.
Ground Meat and Poultry
Research indicates that the color of the meat and the color
of the juices are not accurate indicators of doneness. Ground
beef may turn brown before it has reached a temperature at which
bacteria are destroyed. A consumer preparing hamburger patties
and depending on visual signs to determine safety by using the
brown color as an indicator is taking a chance that pathogenic
microorganisms may survive. A hamburger cooked to 160 °F,
measured with a food thermometer throughout the patty, is safe
- regardless of color.
Combination Dishes
Casseroles and other combination dishes must be cooked to 165
°F as measured with a food thermometer. These dishes are
traditionally composed of cooked foods and then heated to combine
flavors. Pathogenic bacteria could survive, however, if the
meat or poultry component of a casserole was merely "browned"
and the casserole was not subsequently heated thoroughly, especially
if the dish was assembled in advance and refrigerated. These
dishes display no visible signs of doneness. The visual descriptor
"until hot and steamy" is difficult to verify. Only by using
a food thermometer could a consumer be sure it had been heated
to a safe temperature.
No More Guesswork
Using an accurate food thermometer takes the guesswork out of
cooking. No more cutting into your turkey or beef roast to see
if it looks done. Simply place the food thermometer into the
food and it will indicate the temperature the food has reached.
Youll know if it needs to cook a few minutes more or if
it is finished. This is especially helpful with combination
dishes such as lasagne or egg casseroles that may brown on the
top before they heat through.
By using a food thermometer on a regular basis, consumers can
be assured that the food they cook is "done" as well as safe. |
Last Modified:
April 3, 2006 |
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