Pick a meat type to see the USDA's safe minimum internal temperature, plus common doneness levels where they apply.
The USDA sets safe minimum internal temperatures based on the temperature and time needed to kill harmful bacteria for each type of meat. Whole cuts of beef, pork, veal, and lamb have a lower safe minimum than ground meats, because grinding can spread surface bacteria throughout the meat. Poultry has the highest minimum because of its particular risk of salmonella.
Source: Safe minimum internal temperatures are from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) safe minimum cooking temperature chart.
Grinding meat mixes any surface bacteria throughout the whole piece, so it needs to reach a higher temperature (160°F) to be sure that bacteria is killed all the way through, unlike a whole steak where surface searing handles the exterior.
Yes — 145°F with a 3-minute rest is the USDA's safe minimum for whole cuts of beef, pork, veal, and lamb, which lines up closely with a medium doneness. True rare and some medium-rare preparations fall below this and reflect personal preference and additional food-safety judgment, not USDA guidance.
Poultry carries a higher baseline risk of Salmonella and Campylobacter, so USDA guidance sets 165°F as the safe minimum for all poultry, regardless of cut or how it's prepared.
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