Cooking
Food must be cooked to the correct temperature to ensure pathogenic bacteria do not survive the cooking process.
Food worker must practice the following to ensure safe cooking practices
- Preheat the oven.
- Cook till the food achieves a core temperature of 75°C.
- Cook in small/ similar sized joints.
- Check temperatures with a calibrated, clean and disinfected probe thermometer then record and monitor.
It may be noted that pathogenic bacteria such as salmonella can survive in both meat and poultry when the minimum core temperature is not reached. Also, washing poultry before cooking does not remove harmful food poisoning bacteria.
Some industrial cooking processes involve high pressure and high temperatures (over 120°C) to make sure bacteria and spores have been destroyed.
When a microwave oven is to be used, manufacturers' guidelines must be followed. Recommended power levels and times should be treated only as a guide, so a physical check of the core temperature must be taken. Food cooked in a microwave may require stirring part way through cooking to avoid 'cold spots' and recommended 'standing times' after cooking should be followed (This is because microwave cooking happens from outside to inside).