Cooking safely

Cooking kills most harmful bacteria, but only if the whole of the food gets hot enough for long enough. The centre of the food is called the core. It is the last part to heat up.

FSA guidance gives time and temperature combinations that work equally well. The core must reach 75°C for 30 seconds, or 80°C for 6 seconds, or 70°C for 2 minutes. A lower temperature needs a longer time. So a single reading of 70°C is not enough. The food must stay at that temperature for the full 2 minutes.

Check with a clean, disinfected probe thermometer. Put the tip into the centre or the thickest part of the food. Do not let it touch a bone or the pan. Clean and disinfect the probe after each use. In a batch, check the thickest piece, because it will be the last to cook. If the reading is too low, cook the food for longer and check it again. Do not judge by colour alone.

Check that your probe is accurate. In iced water it should read between −1°C and +1°C. In boiling water it should read between 99°C and 101°C. If it does not, stop using it and tell your supervisor.

Some foods must always be cooked right through, with no pink meat. These are poultry, pork, rolled joints, offal and minced meat products such as burgers, sausages and kebabs. Bacteria on the outside of the meat get mixed into the centre of these foods. Before serving, cut into the thickest part and check that the food is steaming hot throughout.

Whole cuts of beef and lamb, such as steaks, cutlets and roasting joints, are different. Bacteria stay on the outside, so cooking or sealing the surface is enough.

Follow the manufacturer's instructions for prepared food. Food must be fully defrosted before cooking, unless the instructions say to cook it from frozen.