USDA Lowers Pork Cooking Temperatures.

May 31, 2011

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is lowering its temperature recommendation for cooking pork to 145 degrees.

That's a drop of 15 degrees and a change from the agency's long-standing guideline. It means whole cuts of pork will be held to the same standard as whole cuts of beef, veal and lamb.

With its lower temperature recommendation, the USDA also called for letting the pork rest for 3 minutes after removing it from the grill or oven.

The USDA made the change after several years of research and talks with producers and food-safety experts. Producers proposed the new standard in 2008, based in part on new production methods that reduced the risk of pathogens.

USDA Undersecretary Elisabeth Hagen says a single temperature for all cuts of meat should help consumers remember the recommendations.

Despite the new recommendation, the USDA says ground beef and ground pork must still be cooked to 160 degrees and all poultry products must be cooked to 165 degrees.

Source : USDA

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