Colorado State University Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network
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Doneness Versus Safety
Edited by: Mary Schroeder, M.S., R.D. & Pat Kendall, Ph.D., R.D., Colorado State - Fall 2003
Everyone seems to have a different opinion when determining what it means to "adequately cook" meats and poultry. The actual temperature at which food is "safe" from pathogenic bacteria may differ from "doneness" according to accepted palatability standards. Often, the two are not one and the same. While experts stress internal temperature guidelines based on use of a food thermometer, consumers tend to prefer visual cues to determine the doneness of meats. Unfortunately, "doneness" reflects subjective qualities such as appearance, texture and optimum flavor of a food, indicators which recent research has shown to be unreliable for safety. According to USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, visual signs of doneness should be reserved for situations in which doneness is reached after the food has reached a safe temperature.
Poultry
Poultry will generally reach a safe temperature (160ºF) before it is "done." Although at 160ºF, pathogenic bacteria have been destroyed, poultry will still be pink and raw looking near the bone and the juices will be red and/or cloudy. Not until poultry reaches 170ºF for white meat and 180ºF for dark meat will it visually appear done (flesh no longer pink and juices clear). With whole chickens and turkeys, at 180ºF the joints will move easily. For stuffed birds, only a food thermometer is recommended for determining when the product has been thoroughly cooked.
Beef
Beef roasts cooked to 160ºF will generally have very little pinkness to the meat, and the juices will not be pink or red. Below the temperature of 160ºF, the center of the roast will be pink or red, depending on the internal temperature. A beef roast or steak cooked to 145ºF in the center can be considered safe, since the outside of the roast would have reached a temperature high enough to destroy bacteria, unless it is a rolled roast or one that has been mechanically tenderized.
Pork
Pork roasts are safe when cooked to 160ºF, even though the center of the roast may be somewhat pink. Pork chops may have just a trace of pink color at this temperature. For both beef and pork, without a food thermometer, it would be difficult to visually determine whether a roast that was pink in the center had reached a safe temperature.
Ground Meat and Poultry
Research indicates that the color of the meat and juices are not accurate indicators of doneness. Ground beef may turn brown before it has reached a temperature at which bacteria are destroyed. Cooking a hamburger to 160ºF with a food thermometer can assure that the patty is safe, regardless of color.
Combination Dishes
Casseroles and other combination dishes display no accurate visual signs of doneness because "until hot and steamy" is difficult to verify. These foods should be cooked to 165ºF as measured with a food thermometer to be sure they have been heated to a safe temperature.
Bottom Line
Using an accurate food thermometer takes the guesswork out of cooking. No more cutting into your turkey or beef roast to see if it looks done, or consuming undercooked hamburgers just because the meat was no longer pink. By using a food thermometer on a regular basis, consumers can be assured that the food they cook is "done" as well as safe.
- Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture. Washington, D.C. Consumer Education and Information Bulletin. Slightly Revised May 2000.
