What Temperature should I Cook Chicken or Poultry to?

In a home or commercial environment is it important for food handlers to

• Wash hands thoroughly with warm water and soap before and after handling raw meat, poultry, and seafood for at least 20 seconds.

• Wash, rinse, sanitize and air-dry cutting boards, dishes, and utensils (including knives), and counter tops with soap and hot water after they come in contact with raw meat, poultry or seafood.

• Counter tops that come in contact with raw meat, poultry, and seafood can be sanitized using a commercial grade sanitizer at a restaurant or if you are in a home kitchen sanitizer (One teaspoon of liquid chlorine bleach per quart of clean water can also be used to sanitize surfaces. Leave the bleach solution on the surface for about 10 minutes to be effective)

Food Handlers should separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood from ready-to-eat foods in your operation at all times from truck delivery to serving.

If you are in a home environment consider placing these raw foods inside plastic bags in your grocery shopping cart to keep the juices contained, and continue to keep them separated in your refrigerator, and while preparing and handling foods at home.

Poultry

Food Handlers:

• Cook all poultry to minimal safe internal temperature of 165° F
• You might want to cook poultry to a higher temperature for personal preference.