Did you know that improper heating of food
can allow harmful bacteria to survive, that
if consumed, has the potential to make you sick? That’s why it’s so
important to cook food to a high enough internal temperature to kill any of the
harmful bacteria.
The best way to ensure food is thoroughly cooked enough is to use a probe food
thermometer says York Region public health inspector Annie Seto-Choo. “To use a
probe food thermometer, you need to insert the stem of the thermometer into the
deepest part of the meat avoiding contact with the bone, gristle and fat.”
Checking the internal temperature of the meat should be done when the meat is thought
to be cooked. By inserting the thermometer between two and five centimetres
into the meat, where the thermometer’s sensor is, you will get an accurate
reading of the internal temperature.
Once you have the reading from your probe thermometer, you can consult a safe cooking
temperature chart, which will tell you if the meat is thoroughly cooked. This chart should also be used for other food such
as poultry, seafood, casseroles or even gravy, soups and sauces. Seto-Choo emphasizes
that you can’t tell whether food is cooked properly just by looking at it.
Seto-Choo says that it’s important to wash
the thermometer after each use using hot water and soap to prevent any
cross-contamination.
Foods that are cooked, but waiting to be served must also be kept at a safe
temperature Seto-Choo advises. “If the food is not eaten immediately, it should
be kept at a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius, so that’s 140 degrees
Fahrenheit, or higher until it’s ready to be eaten.”
And it’s important to consult the chart for re-heated food too. The inspector
says leftovers should always be heated to a temperature of 74 degrees Celsius
or 165 degrees Fahrenheit for safe consumption.
Every year there are
an estimated 11 to 13 million cases of food borne illness or food poisoning in
Canada. Though many people think they only get food poisoning from eating in
restaurants, the truth is that it’s often contracted at home. That’s why it’s
so important to follow the correct food preparation methods of clean, separate,
cook and chill to prevent your family from getting sick.
For more tips to
safely cook and heat your food from York Food Safety, visit
www.York.ca/foodsafety.
