Food safety is very important for everyone. Even though in Canada the food we eat is among the safest in the world, we still need to ensure that we take the necessary steps to protect ourselves and our families.
Cooking Your Food Safely
According to the Government of Canada, every year thousands of Canadians get food poisoning, which can be avoided by taking necessary precautions when handling, preparing and cooking food. One precaution that you can take is to ensure that you cook your food to a safe internal temperature.
Since you can’t tell if your food is cooked by just looking at it, the only reliable way to check the internal temperature is to use a temperature probe, because it eliminates the guesswork of determining if your dish is cooked or not. Most major brands have ranges that include a temperature probe so you don’t have to worry about serving over-cooked or under-cooked meals again.
Take a look at the video below to see how the temperature probe works in a Frigidaire Gallery® range.
In addition to Frigidaire Gallery, brands such as Kitchen Aid, Samsung and GE Profile all offer ranges with temperature probes.
The Right Internal Temperatures
I am sure there are many of you that do not know what the correct internal temperature should be for all the different meats, poultry or seafood. That is okay because we are here to help, since most foods vary in temperature it can be hard to keep track of. Below is a chart from the Government of Canada of the safe internal temperatures that you can use as a guide when cooking. Click here for a handy Safe Internal Cooking Temperatures chart, print it and post it on your fridge for quick reference.
| TYPE | TEMPERATURE |
| Beef, veal and lamb (pieces and whole cuts) | |
| Medium-rare | 63°C (145°F) |
| Medium | 71°C (160°F) |
| Well done | 77°C (170°F) |
| Mechanically tenderized beef (solid cut) | |
| Beef, veal | 63°C (145°F) |
| Steak (turn over at least twice during cooking) | 63°C (145°F) |
| Pork (for example, ham, pork loin, ribs) | |
| Pork (pieces and whole cuts) | 71°C (160°F) |
| Ground meat and meat mixtures (for example, burgers, sausages, meatballs, meatloaf and casseroles) | |
| Beef, veal, lamb and pork | 71°C (160°F) |
| Poultry (for example, chicken, turkey) | 74°C (165°F) |
| Poultry (for example, chicken, turkey, duck) | |
| Pieces | 74°C (165°F) |
| Whole | 82°C (180°F) |
| Egg | |
| Egg dishes | 74°C (165°F) |
| Seafood | |
| Fish | 70°C (158°F) |
| Shellfish (for example, shrimp, lobster, crab, scallops, clams, mussels and oysters) (Since it is difficult to use a food thermometer to check the temperature of shellfish, discard any that do not open when cooked.) | 74°C (165°F) |
| Others | |
| Others (for example, hot dogs, stuffing, leftovers) | 74°C (165°F) |
| Game | Temperature |
| Chops, steaks and roasts (deer, elk, moose, caribou/reindeer, antelope and pronghorn) | |
| Well done | 74°C (165°F) |
| Ground meat | |
| Ground meat and meat mixtures | 74°C (165°F) |
| Ground venison and sausage | 74°C (165°F) |
| Large game | |
| Bear, bison, musk-ox, walrus, etc. | 74°C (165°F) |
| Small game | |
| Rabbit, muskrat, beaver, etc. | 74°C (165°F) |
| Game birds/waterfowl (for example, wild turkey, duck, goose, partridge and pheasant) | |
| Whole | 82°C (180°F) |
| Breasts and roasts | 74°C (165°F) |
| Thighs, wings | 74°C (165°F) |
| Stuffing (cooked alone or in bird) | 74°C (165°F) |
I would suggest that if you are in the market for a new range make sure that you choose one that comes with a temperature probe, you won’t be disappointed. Not only will your meat be cooked to perfection every time, you can also ensure that it is cooked to a safe internal temperature as well.
Isabelle, Your Appliance Expert