Why is it so important that people use a food thermometer when cooking meat, poultry, and eggs?
A. America’s food is among the safest in the world. But bacteria are everywhere, including on food, like meat, poultry, and egg products. If food isn’t handled safely, harmful bacteria can multiply to dangerous levels and make people sick. There are four key safe food handling steps promoted under a national educational campaign by the Partnership for Food Safety Education called Fight BAC!®. These steps include: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. “Cook” is one of the key steps. Cooking food so that it reaches a safe internal temperature is crucial in keeping food safe. Using a food thermometer is the only way to tell if food has reached a high enough temperature to destroy harmful bacteria.
