Endorsement Wanted for Lower Pork Cooking Temperature  

Posted by Wyatt

Canada's hog farmers want to see the U.S. Department of Agriculture's updated view of the temperatures needed to cook whole cuts of pork also become the pork safety standard in Canada.
The U.S. ag department on May 24 updated its recommendation for cooking any whole cuts of meat -- pork now included -- to 145 F (63 C), after which the consumer must allow the meat to rest for three minutes before it's carved or eaten.
The U.S. department said last month its new cooking suggestions "reflect the same standards that the agency uses for cooked meat products produced in federally-inspected meat establishments, which rely on the rest time of three minutes to achieve safe pathogen reduction." The key factor to consider when cooking pork is that you do not overcook and I think this information that has come out of the U.S. is very positive because for years consumers have been overcooking pork and it certainly is not necessary, Cooking temperature definitely will have an impact on the juiciness, the tenderness and texture and it's because when you cook for a long time you are drying the moisture out of the meat". 
Just some interesting news for the first day of summer!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 21, 2011 and is filed under , . You can leave a response and follow any responses to this entry through the Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom) .

1 comments

Anonymous  

There is a fine line between overcooking and undercooking. Overcooking will definitely decrease the eating experience, but as with all meats, you need to make sure they are properly cooked to avoid contracting disease (salmonella in chicken, e. coli in beef, trichinosis in pork).

Thanks for posting these guidelines so that consumers know how to properly cook their meet for the most delicious and healthy meals!

-Karin