Which of the following foods must be cooked to at least 155 °F (68 °C) to ensure safety from microbial contamination?

• A. Pork chops
• B. Poultry
• C. Fish
• D. Ground beef

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that different types of foods require different minimum internal cooking temperatures to ensure the destruction of harmful microbes. These temperatures are established based on the typical microbial risks associated with each food type.
2. Recall that poultry (such as chicken and turkey) generally requires a higher cooking temperature, often around 165 °F (74 °C), to eliminate pathogens like Salmonella and Campylobacter.
3. Recognize that pork chops and fish usually have lower recommended cooking temperatures, often around 145 °F (63 °C), because they are less likely to harbor certain dangerous bacteria internally compared to ground meats.
4. Focus on ground beef, which must be cooked to at least 155 °F (68 °C) because grinding meat distributes bacteria throughout the product, increasing the risk of contamination. This temperature ensures that harmful bacteria like E. coli O157:H7 are effectively killed.
5. Summarize that the key reason ground beef requires a higher cooking temperature than whole cuts like pork chops or fish is due to the increased risk of microbial contamination from the grinding process, making 155 °F (68 °C) the critical safety threshold.