POULTRY
Poultry will generally reach a safe temperature (160 ºF) before it is "done." At 160 ºF, pathogenic bacteria have been destroyed, but poultry will still be pink and raw looking near the bone, and the juices will be pink and/or cloudy. By 165ºF for white meat and 165ºF for dark meat, the flesh of poultry will no longer be pink and the juices will be clear. With whole chickens and turkeys, the joints will move easily.
Although a whole chicken or turkey and poultry parts will visually indicate that they have been thoroughly cooked, stuffed poultry will not. There is no way that a consumer can tell by the juices, the tenderness or color of the flesh, or even by wiggling a drumstick if the center of the stuffing has reached 165 ºF. Only by verifying the internal temperature of both the bird and the stuffing with a food thermometer can a consumer be sure 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 cooked to 145ºF in the center can be considered safe since the exterior 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. A consumer would not be able to determine if a roast that was pink in the center had reached the safe temperature of 145ºF without a food thermometer.
PORK
Pork roasts are safe when cooked to 145ºF even though the center of the roast may be somewhat pink. Pork chops may have just a trace of pink color at this temperature. Again, a consumer would not be able to determine visually if a pork 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 the color of the juices are not accurate indicators of doneness. Ground beef may turn brown before it has reached a temperature at which bacteria are destroyed. A consumer preparing hamburger patties and depending on visual signs to determine safety by using the brown color as an indicator is taking a chance that pathogenic microorganisms may survive. A hamburger cooked to 160 ºF, measured with a food thermometer throughout the patty, is safe – regardless of color.
COMBINATION DISHES
Casseroles and other combination dishes must be cooked to 165 ºF as measured with a food thermometer. These dishes are traditionally composed of cooked foods and then heated to combine flavors. Pathogenic bacteria could survive, however, if the meat or poultry component of a casserole was merely "browned" and the casserole was not subsequently heated thoroughly, especially if the dish was assembled in advance and refrigerated. These dishes display no visible signs of doneness. The visual descriptor "until hot and steamy" is difficult to verify. Only by using a food thermometer could a consumer be sure it had been heated to a safe temperature.
