August 20, 2010, Newsletter Issue #142: Know What Temperature to Keep Food at

Tip of the Week

The chef has done his job by sending a quality frozen meal to your home. Now you must do yours by keeping your foods at safe temperatures for your guests. Make sure you're familiar with the temperatures which foods are supposed to be kept at to stay safe.

Here are some guidelines from the USDA:

Reheating foods: reheat thoroughly to a temperature of 165 F or until hot and steaming. Soup and gravies should be brought to a rolling boil.

Serving foods: when holding or serving a buffet, hot cooked foods must be held at 140 F or higher. Cold foods should be held at 40 F or lower.

Minimum internal cooking temperatures: (the minimum internal temperatures that foods must reach to be considered safe to eat, no matter how you prepare them):

Fresh ground beef, veal, lamb, pork: 160 F

Beef, veal, lamb-roasts, steaks, chops:
Medium rare - 145 F
Medium - 160 degrees F
Well done - 170 degrees F

Fresh pork-roasts, steaks, chops:
Medium - 160 F
Well done - 170 F

Ham:
Cook before eating - 160 F
Fully cooked, to reheat - 140 F

Poultry:
Ground Chicken, Turkey - 165 F
Whole Chicken, Turkey - 180 F
Breasts, roasts - 170 F
Thighs and wings - cook until juices run clear.

Stuffing (cooked alone or in bird): 165 F
Egg dishes, casseroles: 160 F
Leftovers: 165 F

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