Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures

Use a food thermometer to ensure that meat, poultry, seafood, and other cooked foods reach a safe minimum internal temperature. Remember, you can't tell whether meat is safely cooked by looking at it. Any cooked, uncured red meats - including pork - can be pink, even when the meat has reached a safe internal temperature. For information on using a food thermometer, visit Thermometer Placement and Temperatures at USDA.gov.

Why the Rest Time is Important

After you remove meat from a grill, oven, or other heat source, allow it to rest for the specified amount of time. During the rest time, its temperature remains constant or continues to rise, which destroys harmful germs.

Last updated February 5, 2019