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4 Steps to
Handling Food Safely
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4 Steps to Handling Food Safely
STEP 3. Cook
Cook food to a high enough temperature and keep it out of the danger zone! The danger zone, where bacteria grow rapidly, is between 4°C (40°F) and 60°C (140°F).
- To properly cook meat, poultry, fish or eggs, heat them to a high enough temperature for a long enough time to prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying (see temperature chart).
- After cooking, keep hot food at 60°C (140°F) or hotter until it is served.
- Serve hot food while hot, or put it in the fridge or freezer as soon as possible once cooled (within two hours of preparation).
Cooking tips
Make sure that food and water come from a safe and reliable source.
Use a food probe thermometer to measure the inside temperature of cooked foods (e.g., meat, poultry, fish) to check that they are cooked to a high enough temperature.
Do not eat hamburgers rare. Always cook hamburgers and other ground meat to the correct inside temperature.
Cook fish to the correct inside temperature until it flakes easily with a fork.
Use a microwave oven properly by first covering the food, then stirring and rotating for even cooking. This will help to avoid cold spots in the food.
Bring sauces, soups and gravy to a full boil every time you re-heat them. Heat other leftovers thoroughly to 74°C (165°F).
Temperature rules for safe cooking
Cook until the inside temperature of the food reaches the temperatures shown below and then continue cooking for at least 15 seconds.
| Whole poultry (e.g., chicken, turkey, duck) |
82°C (180°F) |
Stuffing in poultry |
74°C (165°F) |
Cut or ground poultry
Cut poultry (e.g., breast, thighs, wings)
Ground poultry |
74°C (165°F ) |
Food mixtures
Food mixtures (e.g., soups, stews, casseroles, stocks, gravy) containing poultry, eggs, meat or fish |
74°C (165°F ) |
Meat
Beef, lamb, veal or goat (roasts and steaks – medium done)
Pork or fresh cured ham
Ground meat other than poultry (e.g., beef, pork) |
71°C (160°F ) |
Fish |
70°C (158°F ) |
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