1. The How’s and Why’s of using a food thermometer when cooking burgers, chicken breasts, pork chops and sausage patties

2. By the end of this presentation, you will learn:
How to be a better cook
How to be a safer cook
Why you can’t judge a burger by its color
About the flip side of flipping burgers

3. Why use a food thermometer when cooking small cuts of meat?

4. Safety Quality Quick Easy to use
Why use a food thermometer when cooking small cuts of meat?
Safety
Quality
Quick
Easy to use

5. What is a small cut of meat?
Hamburgers
Turkey Burgers
Pork Chops
Chicken Breasts
Sausage Patties

6. Millions of people get sick from dangerous bacteria in food every year . . .

7. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates . . .
76 million stomach and
intestinal illness
325,000 hospitalizations
5000 deaths
. . . occur each year in the United States due to foodborne illness.

8. Two of the Healthy People 2010 objectives focus on food safety recommendations . . .
To reduce by 50 percent the number of infections caused by key foodborne pathogens
To increase by 10 percent the proportion of consumers who follow key food safety practices

9. . . . but many people don’t link their illness to foodborne bacteria and viruses.

10. Safety  Raw meat may contain  These bacteria are killed
harmful bacteria.
 These bacteria are killed
when meat is cooked to 160 º F

11. Safety  Many people rely on the internal color to check doneness
BUT . . .
 Research shows that color is NOT a good indicator of doneness

12. USDA Research (1998) Showed:
One out of every four hamburgers turns brown before cooked to safe internal temperature
Only 3 out of 100 consumers checked hamburgers with a food thermometer

13. This IS a safely cooked hamburger, even though it’s pink inside
This IS NOT a safely cooked hamburger, even though
it’s brown inside

14. The ONLY way to be sure when meat is safe to eat is by testing the temperature with a thermometer!

15. You should use a food thermometer when you are cooking
Ground meat patties and meatloaf
Beef, veal, lamb
Poultry (chicken and turkey)
Pork
Ham
Including small cuts of meat

16. How do I use a food thermometer?

17. Quick and easy steps to check your meat for proper temperature
For thin meat, use a dial or digital instant read thermometer.
Insert the probe into the side of the meat

18. Quick and easy steps to check your meat for proper temperature
Insert the probe so at least 2-3” (dial) or ½-inch (digital) is in the center of the meat

19. An instant-read DIAL thermometer reads the temperature along 2-3” of the probe-this means 2-3” of the probe must be inside the food.
2-3 “ sensing area
An instant read DIGITAL thermometer has its temperature sensor in the tip. The probe must be inserted at least 1/2 –inch into the food.
1/2 “ sensing area

20. Quick and easy steps to check your meat for proper temperature
Allow seconds for the temperature to stabilize

21. Clean the spatula and thermometer between uses by:
Rinsing under hot running water for 5 seconds
AND
Wiping with a clean paper towel

23. Beef Roasts and Steaks
Cook to 145°F because bacteria are usually only on the surface of the meat.

24. Safely cooked at 160°F, but may not look done until cooked to
Poultry
Safely cooked at 160°F, but may not look done until cooked to °F

25. Quality  Meat cooked to 160 º F is  Overcooked meat is
juicy and tender
 Overcooked meat is
tough and dry
 Unless you use a
thermometer, it is very easy
to overcook meat

26. The
Flip Side of
Flipping Bugers

27. Clam shell-type grill, patties were not turned
A study conducted at Washington State University compared methods of cooking hamburgers for their effectiveness in killing E. coli O157:H7.
Clam shell-type grill, patties were not turned
Frying pan, patties were turned every 30 seconds
Frying pan, patties were turned only once

29. Consumers should either
Cook hamburger patties in a clam shell-type grill OR
Turn patties often when cooking on a
single-sided grill

30. Today We Have Covered:
Raw and undercooked meat can contain harmful bacteria
Millions of people get sick from dangerous bacteria in food every year
Color is NOT a good indicator of doneness
Using a food thermometer is the ONLY way to determine is meat is cooked to a safe temperature of 160°F

31. Today We Have Covered:
Using a food thermometer can improve the quality and safety of small cuts of meat Quick & easy steps for using a food thermometer when cooking small cuts of meat. The quickest and most effective method for reducing E. coli O157:H7 in hamburger patties is using a clam-shell type grill or flipping several times during cooking.

32. Now You’re Cooking!