Prevent food poisoning — Use a food thermometer and know the safe cooking temperatures.
If an experienced eye is all you use to tell if meat, poultry or egg dishes are cooked to a safe temperature, you're putting yourself and your family at risk of food poisoning. Using a food thermometer is the only sure way to know if your food has reached a high enough temperature to destroy harmful bacteria.
The Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service has evaluated safe cooking temperatures for a variety of foods. Here are its recommendations.
| Food | Safe internal cooking temperatures |
| Ground meat | |
| Beef, pork, veal, lamb | 160 F |
| Poultry | 165 F |
| Beef, veal, lamb (whole cuts) | |
| Medium rare | 145 F |
| Medium | 160 F |
| Well-done | 170 F |
| Poultry | |
| Whole birds | 180 F |
| Breasts | 170 F |
| Legs, thighs, wings | 180 F |
| Pork (fresh) | |
| Medium | 160 F |
| Well-done | 170 F |
| Ham | |
| Fresh | 160 F |
| Cooked | 140 F |
| Leftover cooked ham | 165 F |
| Fish and shellfish | 145 F |
| Egg dishes | 160 F |
| Other: Casseroles, combination dishes, stuffing, stews, leftovers | 165 F |
Last Updated: 06/06/2006
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