The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced this week that it is now recommending that pork, steaks, roasts, and chops (all whole cuts of meat) be cooked to an internal temperature of 1450 F and allowed to rest for three minutes after removing from the heat source. FSIS said that this recommendation is in keeping with its initiative to simplify and establish, where possible, a single recommended safe cooking temperature for meat and poultry. FSIS previously had established a single cooking temperature for poultry, including ground poultry, of 1650 F with no rest time, and 1650 F for ground meats with no rest time.
“With a single temperature for all whole cuts of meat and uniform three minutes stand time, we believe it will be much easier for consumers to remember and result in safer food preparation. Now there will only be three numbers to remember: 145 for whole meats, 160 for ground meats, and 165 for all poultry,” Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Elisabeth Hagen said.
