A
Consumer Guide to Safe Handling and Preparation of Ground Meat and Ground
Poultry
U.
S. Food and Drug Administration Brochure:
Developed by Food Marketing Institute and American Meat Institute
In cooperation with
National Live Stock & Meat Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety
and Inspection Service Extension Service, and Food and Drug Administration
COOL IT!
Ground Meat and
ground poultry are more perishable than most foods. In the danger zone between
40 deg and 140 degrees F, bacteria can multiply rapidly. Since you can't see,
smell or taste bacteria, keep the products cold to keep them safe.
Safe Handling
Choose ground
meat packages that are cold and tightly wrapped. The meat surface exposed to
air will be red; interior of fresh meat will be dark. Put refrigerated and frozen
foods in you grocery cart last and make the grocery store your last stop before
home. Pack perishables in an ice chest if it will take you more than an hour
to get home. Place ground meat and ground poultry in the refrigerator or freezer
immediately. Defrost frozen ground meats in the refrigerator - never at room
temperature. If microwave defrosting, cook immediately.
Safe Storage
Set your refrigerator
at 40 deg F or colder and your freezer at 0 degrees F or colder. Keep uncooked
ground meat and ground poultry in the refrigerator, cook or freeze within 1
to 2 days. Use or freeze cooked meat and poultry stored in the refrigerator
within 3 to 4 days. For best quality, store frozen raw ground meats no longer
than 3 to 4 months; cooked meats, 2 to 3 months.
CLEAN
IT!
Keep everything
clean--hands, utensils, counters, cutting boards and sinks. That way, your food
will stay as safe as possible. Always wash hands thoroughly in hot soapy water
before preparing foods and after handling raw meat. Don't let raw meat or poultry
juices touch ready-to-eat foods either in the refrigerator or during preparation.
Don't put cooked foods on the same plate that held raw or poultry. Wash utensils
that have touched raw meat with hot, soapy water before using them for cooked
meats. Wash counters, cutting boards and other surfaces raw meats have touched.
And don't forget to keep the inside of your refrigerator clean.
COOK
IT!
Cooking kills
harmful bacteria. Be sure ground meat and ground poultry are cooked thoroughly.
Cook It Safely
The center of patties and meat loaf should not be pink and the juices should
run clear. Crumbled ground meats should be cooked until no pink color remains.
Ground meat patties and loaves are safe when they reach 160 deg F in the center;
ground poultry patties and loaves, 165 deg F.
Cook It Evenly
During broiling, grilling, or cooking on the stove, turn meats over at least
once. When baking, set oven no lower than 325 deg F. If microwaving, cover meats.
Midway through cooking, turn patties over and rotate the dish, rotate a meat
loaf; and stir ground meats once or twice. Let microwaved meats stand to complete
cooking process. After cooking, refrigerate leftovers immediately. Separate
into small portions for fast cooling. To reheat all leftovers, cover and heat
to 165 deg F or until hot and steaming throughout.
Cold Storage
Consumer Guidelines Cold storage times for Ground Meat and Ground
Poultry
Refrigerator (40 F or below)
Product Days Uncooked - ground meat and ground poultry (bulk or
patties) 1 to 2 days
Cooked ground meat and ground poultry (hamburgers, meat loaf and
dishes containing ground meats) 3 to 4 days
Freezer (0 F or below)
Product Months Uncooked - ground meat and ground poultry (bulk or
patties) 3 to 4 months
Cooked ground meat and ground poultry (hamburgers, meat loaf and
dishes containing ground meats) 2 to 3 months
Internal Temperatures For Safe Cooking
Product Temperature Uncooked ground meat 160 F
Uncooked ground poultry 165 F
All cooked leftovers, reheated 165 F
Bacteria are part of our environment. Where there is food there
may be bacteria. Proper food handling and cooking is the best way
to prevent foodborne illness. Generally most at risk for developing
foodborne illness are children, the elderly and those who have chronic
illnesses or compromised immune systems.
Developed by Food Marketing Institute and American Meat Institute
800 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Post Office Box 3556 Washington, D.C.
20006 Washington, D.C. 20007 in cooperation with National Live Stock
& Meat Board 44 N. Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60611 U.S. Department
of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service Extension Service
14th Street & Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20250
Food and Drug Administration 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857
For more information
about the safe handling and preparation of ground meat and ground poultry, call:
USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline toll-freeat: 1-800-535-4555 10:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday or contact
your local Cooperative Extension Service Office. August 11, 1998
Update: USDA Urges Consumers to Use Food Thermometers When Cooking
Ground Beef Patties Additional information on foodborne illness.
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