Food safety is extremely important to prevent foodborne illness. The last thing anyone wants is to be sick from food poisoning, whether it’s from a restaurant or your own homecooked meal. Yet, this can often happen when we are not educated about safe internal temperatures for poultry, red meat and fish. What should you know about cooking food properly?
Internal Cooking Temperatures
According to FoodSafety.gov, you should pay attention to both the internal temperature and rest times of certain foods before serving. During this rest period, harmful germs are destroyed by the constant or rising temperature. If you do not have a meat thermometer, the following are safe internal cooking temperatures for popular food items:
- Ground Beef, Pork, Veal & Lamb: 160°F, no rest time
- Ground Chicken & Turkey: 165°F, no rest time
- Fresh Red Meat: 145°F, rest 3 minutes
- Chicken, Turkey, Duck & Goose: 165°F, no rest time
- Fresh Pork: 145°F, rest 3 minutes
- Fin Fish: 145°F, no rest time
In some cases, such as with steak or fish, you might like your meat on the rarer side. These foods can be eaten raw (i.e. carpaccio and sushi) but consuming undercooked poultry is very unsafe.
Symptoms of Foodborne Illness
If you have eaten bad food, you will likely be able to self-diagnose in no time. After the consumption of undercooked food, watch for the following symptoms:
- Stomach cramping
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea and flatulence
- Fever or chills
- Dizziness
- Weakness and fatigue
- Sweating
- Dehydration
According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illness each year. To avoid adding to this statistic, always make sure that food is safely prepared for consumption.
At Colony Diner, our experienced staff does everything we can to make sure food is cooked and served at the correct internal temperature. Visit us for a delicious meal today!