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Home » Health » New USDA Guidelines for Cooking Meat

New USDA Guidelines for Cooking Meat

By Jason Chang on May 25, 2011

Digital News Report – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has revised their cooking recommendation for pork and some other cuts of meat.

Previously the USDA recommended cooking all cuts of meat to 160 °F or 165 °F. On Tuesday the government said that Americans can safely cook pork, steaks, roasts, and chops to 145 degrees, with a three minute “rest time”.

“With a single temperature for all whole cuts of meat and uniform 3 minute stand time, we believe it will be much easier for consumers to remember and result in safer food preparation,” said Under Secretary Elisabeth Hagen.

Poultry, like chicken and turkey should always be cooked at 165 °F. Use a thermometer designed to puncture the meat to measure the temperature inside.

Ground meat, like beef, veal, lamb, and pork should still be cooked to 160 degrees.

“Now there will only be 3 numbers to remember: 145 for whole meats, 160 for ground meats and 165 for all poultry,” Hagen said.

Why is rest time important? The rest time is the amount of time the meat is kept at the final temperature after it has been removed from the oven or grill. Previously the USDA did not recommend any rest time. This new criteria will allow more time for the temperature to kill pathogens.

By Jason Chang
Health Writer

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