Keep your friends and family safe this grilling season by making sure food is cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature. Cooking is the final and most critical step in ensuring food safety. Bacteria are found on the outside of meat and poultry but when ground the outside is mixed into the inside. For these reasons, ground products must be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness.

When preparing ground meat and poultry like hamburgers and turkey burgers, use products by the “use by” date on the package. Cook them to the following safe minimum internal temperatures:

Ground beef or pork     160° F
Ground poultry               165° F
All leftovers                     165° F

Download a complete temperature chart here.

Remember that you cannot tell food is fully cooked just by looking at it. Research has shown that color is NOT a reliable indicator of doneness; a burger that’s brown in the middle is not necessarily cooked thoroughly. The only way to make sure your food has reached a safe minimum internal temperature is to use a food thermometer.

The best types of food thermometers for grilling are:

Digital Instant-Read (Thermistor)

• Reads in 10 seconds
• Place at least ½” deep
• Can measure in thin and thick foods

Thermometer-Fork Combination

• Reads in 2-10 seconds
• Place at least ¼” deep in the thickest part of food.

Read more about types of food thermometers here.

Tips for Using a Food Thermometer:

• These food thermometers are not designed to remain in food while it is cooking.
• Before using any food thermometer, read the manufacturer’s instructions!
• Calibrate your food thermometer to check its accuracy. There are two ways to do this; one method uses ice water and the other uses boiling water. Learn more about calibrating food thermometers here.
• To ensure safety and prevent overcooking, check the internal temperature of the food toward the end of the cooking time, before the food is expected to finish cooking.
• The food thermometer should be placed in the thickest part of the food and should not be touching bone, fat, or gristle. Check the temperature in several places to make sure the food is evenly heated.
• Clean your food thermometer with hot water and soap before and after each use!

The non-profit Partnership for Food Safety Education saves lives and improves public health through research-based, actionable consumer food safety initiatives that reduce foodborne illness. Sign up to be a BAC Fighter at www.fightbac.org!