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

Video: What Really Drives Meat Quality in Pork? - Dr. Yan Huang

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Yan Huang from University of Arkansas explores how genetics, nutrition, and stress management shape pork quality. He explains how molecular pathways influence fat deposition, muscle growth, and meat flavor while balancing production efficiency. Listen now on all major platforms!

"The most important driver of pork quality. Feed plays a very important role in the meat quality."

Meet the guest: Dr. Yan Huang / yan-huang-77829421 is an Associate Professor in Nutritional Skeletal Muscle Biology at the University of Arkansas. With academic experience across China, South Korea, and the United States, his work focuses on the genetic and molecular regulation of muscle growth and fat deposition in swine. His research connects genetics, nutrition, and pork quality to improve production efficiency and consumer satisfaction.