Did you know that 48 million get sick from a foodborne illness every year, and 3000 people die from it? These statistics shouldn’t surprise anyone since many people are completely unaware of the right burger temperatures to cook their red meat and poultry.
Are you in the same boat? Are you looking for some burger tips? Keep reading to find how to cook burgers to the right internal temperature so you can eat delicious hamburgers and stay safe at the same time.
Internal Temperatures Mandates
The USDA mandates that pre-ground meat must be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit and poultry must be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This will kill any lingering bacteria and render the meat safe to consume.
How do you figure out what the internal temperature is while cooking burgers? Well, using a reliable meat instant-read thermometer is a great idea here. Take the temperature in the thickest part of the meat for best results.
Why Are Steaks and Ground Beef Different?
You might be wondering why steak can be cooked to medium-rare which is a temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Well, bacteria only grow on the surface of a whole piece of meat like steak. It doesn’t burrow further or deeper into the meat.
Thus, when you sear the surface of the steak, it kills all lingering bacteria rendering the medium-rare steak safe to eat.
But ground meat will have bacteria throughout the meat, both inside and outside. That’s why a burger patty needs to be checked internally for the right temperature, to ensure all bacteria everywhere is killed thoroughly. It’s always better to be safe than sorry in such cases.
Reduce the Risk of Contamination
You could go to Google and search for the ‘best cheeseburgers near me‘ if you are not interested in learning more about hamburger temperatures. This way you can still enjoy a delicious meal at a burger restaurant without any ill consequences.
Or you could follow some easy burger tips to avoid contamination and keep your family safe:
- Use separate prep areas for raw meat and produce
- Wash your hands before and after handling raw meat
- Keep the ground beef cold at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit
- Keep ready to eat foods away from raw meat and their juices
With these tips, you can make your kitchen and cooking burgers even safer and healthier.
Follow Burger Temperatures Mandates to a T
Think of burger temperatures mandates as a must-have, not a nice-to-have. Have a meat thermometer at hand, especially during the summer when you do a lot of BBQs, cooking burgers, and other meat dishes.
Also, inform anyone who is cooking with you about these temperature mandates. The more people that are aware of these rules, the safer America will be as a whole from food-borne illnesses.
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