Is It Done Yet?

"Is it done yet?" The answer to this question is the basis of a national campaign to encourage the use of food thermometers when preparing meat, poultry and egg dishes to prevent foodborne illness. The campaign, led by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is "Is It Done Yet? You Can't Tell By Looking. Use a Food Thermometer to be Sure!"

Studies show that using a food thermometer is the only way to tell if harmful bacteria have been destroyed. FSIS reports that even if hamburgers look fully cooked, one in four hamburgers may not be safely cooked. Yet only 6 percent of home cooks use a food thermometer for hamburgers and only 10 percent use a food thermometer for chicken breasts, according a government survey.

Food safety experts want people to get and use a dial or digital food thermometer. By using a food thermometer to check if meat, poultry, or egg dishes are done, you will also prevent overcooking. Food cooked to a safe internal temperature is juicy and flavorful. You can buy a food thermometer in many grocery, hardware, or kitchen stores. Here are some tips for using it:

• Insert the food thermometer into the thickest part of the food, making sure it doesn't touch bone, fat, or gristle.
• Cook food until the thermometer shows an internal temperature of 160° F for hamburger, pork, and egg dishes; 145° F for beef, veal, and lamb steaks and roasts; and 165 °F for all poultry.
• Clean your food thermometer with hot, soapy water before and after each use.

FSIS has created a Web site to provide consumers with recommended internal temperatures and instructions on how to use a food thermometer: www.IsItDoneYet.gov. For a free copy of the "Is It Done Yet?" brochure, order online or send your name and address to Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC), Dept. 11, Pueblo, CO 81009.