Why does ground meat have to be cooked
at a higher temperature than 140 degrees?
Most
bacteria is on the surface of the meat where the temperature reaches a safe level
long before the internal temperature reaches an equally safe level. When ground meats
are processed the surface bacteria can be ground and mixed throughout product.
This is why it is important to cook
ground products to an internal temperature of at least 155 degrees for patties with a
preferable temperature of 165 degrees for meatloaf and other recipes using ground meats.
Most
bacteria is on the surface of the meat where the temperature reaches a safe level
long before the internal temperature reaches an equally safe level. When ground meats
are processed the surface bacteria can be ground and mixed throughout product.