Why bother measuring food temperatures?
Cooking foods to a safe internal temperature helps prevent foodborne illness. In the U.S., about 5000 people die, 325,000 people are hospitalized and 76 million become ill annually because of something they ate. Most of these cases could be prevented with proper cooking and handling. National meat recalls are making the news again. Even if food contains bacteria such as E. coli or Salmonella, internal temperature can kill harmful bacteria. Can’t I just look at the meat to see if it’s “done”? Many people still use color to tell when meat is fully cooked. But meat isn’t necessary “done” when it’s brown. Studies have shown that some meat, because of the age of the animal and the amount of protein called myoglobin, may turn brown even though not thoroughly cooked. In a research study, one in four burgers turned brown before reaching a safe internal temperature. Other meat may look pink when it has reached a safe internal temperature. Using a food thermometer eliminates the guesswork from c
