Potentially hazardous foods, both raw and ready-to-eat, may contain harmful microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, or parasites.

Adequate cooking will destroy these harmful microorganisms and is an important step in food borne illness prevention.

Both time and temperature are necessary to kill harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites which may have contaminated food.

The table below provides the minimum recommended time-temperature needed to destroy harmful microorganisms in food that is cooked by conventional methods (i.e., heat sources other than a microwave) and also microwave cooking.

Microwave cooking requires additional steps to ensure food is evenly and thoroughly cooked. Follow these simple steps:

• Heat food 25 degrees F higher than conventional cooking (refer to Time-Temperature table).
• Rotate and stir food during cooking.
• Cover the food product to retain surface moisture.
• Allow food product to stand covered for at least two minutes after cooking to obtain an even temperature.

Heat will not destroy:

• Toxins produced by bacteria.
• Bacterial spores which can later produce harmful numbers of bacteria.

It is, therefore, important to maintain the food product:

• At 41 degrees F or below or
• At 140 degrees F or more, and
• Protect from possible contamination by unclean hands, utensils, or overhead drippage.