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Page: UK HACCP Guidelines and Other Official Information
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The UK Food Standards Agency publishes recommendations as part of its Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) programme. The relevant guidelines at csctcooking state that:
"Cooking food until the CORE TEMPERATURE is 75°C or above will ensure that harmful bacteria are destroyed.
However, lower cooking temperatures are acceptable provided that the CORE TEMPERATURE is maintained for a specified period of time as follows :
* 60°C for a minimum of 45 minutes
* 65°C for a minimum of 10 minutes
* 70°C for a minimum of 2 minutes"
Previous guidance from a leaflet produced by the UK Department Of Health “Handling Cooked Meats Safely A Ten Point Plan” also allowed for:
* "75°C for a minimum of 30 seconds
* 80°C for a minimum of 6 seconds"
as well as the above.
Note that recommended cooking conditions are only appropriate if initial bacterial numbers in the uncooked food are small. Cooking does not replace poor hygiene.
In the United States, federal regulations governing food safety are fragmented and complicated, according to a February 2007 report from the Government Accountability Office. There are 15 agencies sharing oversight responsibilities in the food safety system, although the two primary agencies are the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which is responsible for the safety of meat, poultry, and processed egg products, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is responsible for virtually all other foods.
Critique
Note that the above advice is open to critique
* For example, some spore forming bacteria can survive cooking until the CORE TEMPERATURE is 75°C or above - and may in fact be stimulated to grow. If food is cooked to a core temperature of 75°C, it must be kept out of the "danger zone" (5 to 60°C) thereafter to prevent spore formers from multiplying. Spore formers like Clostridium perfringens can cause serious gastroenteritis.
* Another problem is that although a core temperature of 75°C will kill most dangerous vegetative bacteria it does not inactivate some toxins (eg staphylococcal enterotoxin). So it is possible to become ill after eating well cooked food, as the food may already be contaminated with toxins before cooking.
For more information, see Foodborne illness.
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Important notice:
The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other
qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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