# PASTEURIZATION TABLE... or..  how to safely cook your food to a lower internal temperature..



## daveomak

Cooking food to a lower temperature for a longer time has some valuable side effects...    

The food can be moist...

Fat will not melt and run out into the collection pan...

The NOT so valuable side effects....

Folks have a long standing aversion to foods that do NOT looked cooked regardless of food safety issues...

Chicken will be pink...  BUT that is also reflective of the young age poultry is harvested these days with the advent of super fast growing chickens...

Chicken can be pink if fully cooked to 165 deg. F...

....click on pics to enlarge....













2015-12-20 NON INTACT pasteurization table 001.jpg



__ daveomak
__ Apr 12, 2017






Temperature Time Temperature Time
°F (°C) (Minutes) °F (°C) (Seconds)

130 (54.4) 112 min... 146 (63.3) 169 sec
131 (55.0) 89 min.... 147 (63.9) 134 sec
132 (55.6) 71 min.... 148 (64.4) 107 sec
133 (56.1) 56 min.... 149 (65.0) 85 sec
134 (56.7) 45 min.... 150 (65.6) 67 sec
135 (57.2) 36 min.... 151 (66.1) 54 sec
136 (57.8) 28 min.... 152 (66.7) 43 sec
137 (58.4) 23 min.... 153 (67.2) 34 sec
138 (58.9) 18 min.... 154 (67.8) 27 sec
139 (59.5) 15 min.... 155 (68.3) 22 sec
140 (60.0) 12 min.... 156 (68.9) 17 sec
141 (60.6) 9 min...... 157 (69.4) 14 sec
142 (61.1) 8 min...... 158 (70.0) 0 sec
143 (61.7) 6 min.......
144 (62.2) 5 min.......
145 (62.8) 4 min.......

Table C.1: Pasteurization times for beef, corned beef, lamb, pork and cured pork (FDA, 2009, 3-401.11.B.2).













2015-12-24 GROUND MEAT pasteurization table 001.jp



__ daveomak
__ Apr 12, 2017






Temperature........

...................... Time

°F (°C).............. 12% fat

136 (57.8)......... 81.4 min

137 (58.3)........ 65.5 min

138 (58.9)........ 52.9 min

139 (59.4)........ 43 min

140 (60.0)........ 35 min

141 (60.6)........ 28.7 min

142 (61.1)........ 23.7 min

143 (61.7)........ 19.8 min

144 (62.2)........ 16.6 min

145 (62.8)........ 13.8 min

146 (63.3)........ 11.5 min

148 (64.4)........ 7.7 min

150 (65.6)........ 4.9 min

152 (66.7)........ 2.8 min

154 (67.8)........ 1.6 min

156 (68.9)........ 1 min

158 (70.0)........ 40.9 sec

160 (71.1)........ 26.9 sec

162 (72.2)........ 17.7 sec

164 (73.3)........ 11.7 sec

166 (74.4)........ 0 sec

Table C.2: Pasteurization times for a 7D reduction in Salmonella for chicken and turkey (FSIS, 2005).

　

*FAT % changes the time/temp...  as seen below...   Fatty meat takes longer to pasteurize.... *

Pasteurization Time for Lean Fish
(starting at 41°F / 5°C and put in a 131–140°F / 55–60°C water bath)

　
55°C

56°C

57°C

58°C

59°C

60°C

Thickness

131°F

133°F

134.5°F

136.5°F

138°F

140°F

5 mm

2½ hr

1¾ hr

1¼ hr

50 min

35 min

30 min

10 mm

2¾ hr

2 hr

1½ hr

60 min

45 min

35 min

15 mm

2¾ hr

2 hr

1½ hr

1¼ hr

55 min

50 min

20 mm

3 hr

2¼ hr

1¾ hr

1½ hr

1¼ hr

60 min

25 mm

3¼ hr

2½ hr

2 hr

1¾ hr

1½ hr

1¼ hr

30 mm

3¾ hr

3 hr

2½ hr

2 hr

1¾ hr

1¾ hr

35 mm

4 hr

3¼ hr

2¾ hr

2½ hr

2¼ hr

2 hr

40 mm

4½ hr

3¾ hr

3 hr

2¾ hr

2½ hr

2¼ hr

45 mm

4¾ hr

4 hr

3½ hr

3¼ hr

2¾ hr

2½ hr

50 mm

5¼ hr

4½ hr

4 hr

3½ hr

3¼ hr

3 hr

55 mm

5¾ hr

5 hr

4½ hr

4 hr

3¾ hr

3½ hr

60 mm

6¼ hr

5½ hr

5 hr

4½ hr

4 hr

3¾ hr

65 mm

7 hr

6 hr

5½ hr

5 hr

4½ hr

4¼ hr

70 mm

7½ hr

6¾ hr

6 hr

5½ hr

5 hr

4¾ hr

Pasteurization Time for Fatty Fish
(starting at 41°F / 5°C and put in a 131–140°F / 55–60°C water bath)

　
55°C

56°C

57°C

58°C

59°C

60°C

Thickness

131°F

133°F

134.5°F

136.5°F

138°F

140°F

5 mm

4¼ hr

3 hr

2 hr

1½ hr

60 min

40 min

10 mm

4¼ hr

3 hr

2 hr

1½ hr

1¼ hr

50 min

15 mm

4½ hr

3¼ hr

2¼ hr

1¾ hr

1¼ hr

60 min

20 mm

4¾ hr

3½ hr

2½ hr

2 hr

1½ hr

1¼ hr

25 mm

5 hr

3¾ hr

2¾ hr

2¼ hr

1¾ hr

1½ hr

30 mm

5¼ hr

4 hr

3¼ hr

2½ hr

2¼ hr

2 hr

35 mm

5½ hr

4¼ hr

3½ hr

3 hr

2½ hr

2¼ hr

40 mm

6 hr

4¾ hr

4 hr

3¼ hr

3 hr

2½ hr

45 mm

6½ hr

5¼ hr

4¼ hr

3¾ hr

3¼ hr

3 hr

50 mm

7 hr

5¾ hr

4¾ hr

4¼ hr

3¾ hr

3¼ hr

55 mm

7½ hr

6¼ hr

5¼ hr

4¾ hr

4¼ hr

3¾ hr

60 mm

8 hr

6¾ hr

5¾ hr

5¼ hr

4¾ hr

4¼ hr

65 mm

8½ hr

7¼ hr

6¼ hr

5¾ hr

5¼ hr

4¾ hr

70 mm

9¼ hr

8 hr

7 hr

6¼ hr

5¾ hr

5¼ hr

Table 3.1: Pasteurization times for a one million to one reduction of _Listeria_ in fin-fish.

I used D[sub]60[sup]5.59 = 2.88 minutes for lean fish (such as cod) and D605.68 = 5.13 minutes for fatty fish (such as salmon) from Embarek and Huss (1993). For my calculations I used a thermal diffusivity of 0.995×10-7 m2/s, a surface heat transfer coefficient of 95 W/m2-K, and took β = 0.28 (to simulate the heating speed of a 2:3:5 box).[/sup][/sub]

...Pathogen growth temperatures....













Pathogen growth temps.jpg



__ daveomak
__ Apr 12, 2017






.....  pH and water activity have an effect on pathogen growth....













Pathoge pH range.jpg



__ daveomak
__ Apr 12, 2017






*SAFETY OF PASTEURIZED-CHILLED FOOD* 
*Copyright 1997 by O. Peter Snyder, Jr., Ph.D.* 
*Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management* 
*670 Transfer Road, Suite 21A* 
*St. Paul, Minnesota 55114 USA* 
*Revised March 2003*

*What Is A Retail "Chilled" Food System?*
Actually, a retail "chilled" food system is misnamed. It is simply an extension of conventional retail pasteurized food systems.

1. Food is cooked and transferred hot to a package, which is sealed and cooled, or
2. Food is cooked, cooled, transferred without pathogen contamination to a package, and sealed or
3. Packaged food is cooked, cooled, and then, kept chilled to control the outgrowth of spores that survive pasteurization.

The important principle is that the more severe the heating (cooking) process after pasteurization has been achieved (e.g., above 130F for 87 minutes), the further the spoilage microorganisms are reduced. Hence, the refrigerated shelf life of the product is extended. A second principle is that the closer the temperature of the food product during storage is to freezing temperatures of 28 to 32F (freezing point, which depends on salt and sugar content), the longer the shelf life. Yeasts and molds can grow at temperatures as low as 14F. Bacteria can grow at 23F.

_*Table 1*_ shows holding times based on the 1997 FDA Food Code _(2)_, which sets the standard for cold holding of food at 41F for 7 days, 45F for 4 days, and 4 hours between 45 and 140F. The other temperatures and times are derived using the Ratkowsky predictive growth equation _(4)_.

*Table 1. FDA-derived Holding Times at Specified Temperatures*


*Temperature*

*Safe Storage Time*
 
*F *

*C*

*Days*

55 
50 
45* 
41* 
40 
35 
30

12.8 
10.0 
7.2 
5.0 
4.4 
1.7 
-1.1

1.7 
2.4 
4.0 
7 
7.5 
19.3 
123.8

* FDA 1997 Food Code recommended cold food holding temperature.


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## whistech

Thank you for posting the charts Dave.    I have a question I hope you can answer.     Is cured pork and beef sausage slowly brought up from a temperature of 35 degrees and held at a temperature of 145 degrees F for 30 minutes in a smoker considered pasteurized and safe to eat?     Iv'e always read to bring the sausage up to 152 degrees to be safe to eat.    Thank you for any insight you can provide.

Arlie


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## pc farmer

POINTS for great info. 

I am trying to save this.


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## shyzabrau

You can't discuss temperatures without mentioning times. Most references to temperature are the INSTANTANEOUS exposure. 145 for 4 minutes is okay. 152 instantaneously is not. (Well, it probably is, but we're focusing on the established safe levels.)

My current method (until someone shows me evidence that it's a bad method) is to sous vide my sausage before either smoking or freezing for cooking later.


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## chilerelleno

Valuable info, the kind'a stuff preppers keep written down for when EMP takes down all the electronics,..  POINT.


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## chef jimmyj

Great post Dave! Nice to have the info in one place...JJ


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## SmokinAl

Thanks Dave, gonna have to bookmark this!

Al


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## wade

Thanks for re-posting some of the info and for adding to it.

Wade


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## lowslowjoe

Yes, thanks for re-posting...   I really wish I had known about time and temp long ago. I've been cooking for going on 43 years now, and always assumed the consumer recommended minimum temperatures were like set in stone and that there was no other safe way to cook better food...  So many dried out pork roasts and turkey... could have been better. But then, up until recently I really didn't have the equipment or even confidence in my equipment that I would have been able to make too much good use of it all. Even so... if I could count the number of times I had a Turkey that had hit 150F for more then 5 minutes... but I kept cooking it until it hit 165F... I'd have quite a few extra $$ in my pocket.


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## gnatboy911

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/trichinae/docs/fact_sheet.htm

Here is an interesting article I found a while back in regards to Trichinosis specifically.  I have been fortunate the last couple years to harvest bears and I wanted to make sure I was cooking it safely.  

Dave, thanks for posting those charts!

Nate.


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## daveomak

gnatboy911 said:


> https://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/trichinae/docs/fact_sheet.htm
> 
> Here is an interesting article I found a while back in regards to Trichinosis specifically.  I have been fortunate the last couple years to harvest bears and I wanted to make sure I was cooking it safely.
> 
> Dave, thanks for posting those charts!
> 
> Nate.


Morning...  as pointed out in the article, you posted, freezing does in the trich....    Someone on here posted, if I remember correctly, all commercial processed pork is frozen and the possibility of getting trich is next to zero.....


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## daveomak

Below are excerpts from a PM with a member...   Concerns making jerky... 

It is important to note, you can't substitute rules from one recipe to a different recipe...  It is important to note there are defining factors in each specific recipe that do not "translate" in food safety across the board..... 

---------------

Below is one time/temp table to make food safe...    The meat must be exposed to air, so as to not promote the growth of botulism...   Those temps are reflecting the "internal temperature" of the meat... 

Your thin chips are difficult to take the internal temp...   One method and the FDA recommended method that can be employed is...   place the meat strips in a liquid, beef broth as an example, raise the liquid temp to 150, (new guidelines recommend 165F) as an example, and hold for 3-4 minutes to insure that temp throughout the meat slice..  Then dry per normal in a dehydrating device.. 
After dehydrating, the meat can be exposed to 275 F, to kill remaining pathogens..

,

It is important to note that if you dehydrate dry meat strips, and the temp does not get to lethal kill temps before the meat is dehydrated, dehydrated pathogens can survive the expected lethal temperatures by a significant temp increase... only to be "reborn" once rehydrated... 

The liquid method should be employed on beef / pork / turkey jerky...  raise the wet meat to final accepted temperature for that meat and expected pathogen, then dry at a lower temp if you wish...

-------------------

Yes....  The pre step cooking in a liquid eliminates all the other BS...  The pathogens are killed and you are ready to go....    All except botulism...  but, keeping a good air supply, botulism will not grow...

You can add cure #1 to the liquid...  I always do...  It's just insurance against botulism...    Add 1.1 grams of cure #1 per pound of stuff... or 1 tsp. per 5#'s of stuff.....   meat plus liquid...  that will bring the nitrite to ~150 Ppm...  perfectly adequate to do in botulism and it's perfectly safe for us to eat...    except infants...  all nitrates / nitrites are bad for infants...   blue baby syndrome...  it's prevalent in some vegetables and some well water...   the blood cannot carry oxygen, in an infant, when they are exposed to nitrates/ nitrites....

--------------------

Add everything you want to the broth method....   EXCEPT cure #1....   do the broth thing and cook the meat...  Cool the broth... add the cure #1 to the cooled broth then marinate...   I would use a vacuum tub to suck all the stuff into the meat...   I have found 3 pulses does good....   Vac... release...  Vac... release.... Vac... release and the liquid it all sucked into the meat...    dry on paper towels then into the smoker or dehydrator.....   Nitrite starts to break down at ~130 F....


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## wade

Great info Dave and well explained. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






The vacuum pump seems a good idea. Can you expand on that. Are you saying to vac packing and then releasing pressure 3 times or are you meaning something different?

Are you sure about the Nitrites and Blue Baby Syndrome? I know that Nitrates are implicated (which will rule out using cure #2) but I have not seen anything that indicates that Nitrites are also implicated here.

Cheers, Wade


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## daveomak

Wade....   I made all that stuff up just to screw with the members on this great forum...   Have a great day....


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## chef jimmyj

Infants  younger  than 4  months  of  age  are  the  highest  risk group  for harm  from  exposure  to nitrates.   •  When  nitrate  containing  well water  is  mixed  with  baby formula  and  fed to  infants,  it  can  create  serious  health effects. •  Because  the  gastrointestinal  system  of  infants  is still developing after  birth,  they  are  at  higher  risk  for serious  health  effects  resulting  from  nitrate  exposure.   Infants  with diarrhea  and vomiting form more  nitrites  inside the  body  that  place  them at  higher  risk  for  health  effects 
with  or  without nitrate  exposure. A pregnant  woman  and her  fetus  might  be  more  sensitive  to toxicity  from  nitrites  or  nitrates  at or  near  the  30th  week  of pregnancy. Symptoms  of  nitrate/nitrite  poisoning  include •  Bluish  skin  from a  lack  of  oxygen (likely  noticed around mouth/lips  first). •  Difficulty  breathing, •  Nausea,  diarrhea,  vomiting, •  Dehydration  (from loss  of  bodily  fluids) •  Fast  pulse,  dizziness,  weakness,  coma and/or convulsions. What  Can Be Learned from Lab Tests? How  Is Overexposure  to Nitrates/ Nitrites Treated How  Can People Reduce  the Risk  of Exposure  to Nitrates/ Nitrites? A  number of  different tests  are  available  to  evaluate  health effects  from  overexposure  to nitrates. •  A screening  test may  include  looking  at  the  color  of  a few  drops  of  blood  placed on white  filter  paper. •  Other  tests can  measure  how  nitrates  are  affecting  the body’s  ability  to  move  oxygen to  where  it  is  needed most. This  helps  with  plans  for  treatment. There  are  treatments  for  nitrate  and  nitrite  poisoning.  Methylene  blue  may  be  used to  help make  oxygen available to  the  body  by  reversing what  nitrates  have  done  to  the molecules  that carry  oxygen  in  the  body.   

This excerpt from the CDC shows while nitrAtes are the primary conce, in well water and vegetables in baby food. NitrItes are also a concern under some conditions like gastrointestinal illness...JJ


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## wade

Thanks for the update and clarification JJ.


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## daveomak

http://www.des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pip/factsheets/ard/documents/ard-ehp-16.pdf

Absorption
Nitrate is a health hazard because of its conversion to nitrite. Once ingested, conversion of nitrate to nitrite takes place in the saliva of people of all age groups, and in the gastrointestinal tract of infants. Infants convert approximately double, or 10 percent of ingested nitrate to nitrite compared to 5 percent conversion in older children and adults.

Short-Term (Acute) Effects
Nitrite changes the normal form of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood to the rest of the body, into a form called methemoglobin that cannot carry oxygen. High enough concentrations of nitrate in drinking water can result in a temporary blood disorder in infants called methemoglobinemia, commonly called "blue baby syndrome." In severe, untreated cases, brain damage and eventually death can result from suffocation due to lack of oxygen. Early symptoms of methemoglobinemia can include irritability, lack of energy, headache, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, labored breathing, and a blue-gray or pale purple coloration to areas around the eyes, mouth, lips, hands and feet.
Infants up to six months of age are considered to be the most sensitive population. Not only do they convert a greater percentage of nitrate to nitrite, their hemoglobin is more easily converted to methemoglobin and they have less of the enzyme that changes methemoglobin back to its oxygen-carrying form.
No cases of methemoglobinemia have been reported when water contained less than 10 parts per million (ppm) of nitrate nitrogen. The majority of cases involve exposure to levels in drinking water exceeding 50 ppm. Healthy adults do not develop methemoglobinemia at nitrate levels in drinking water that place infants at risk. Pregnant women are more sensitive to the effects of nitrate due to a natural increase in methemoglobin levels in blood during the later stage of pregnancy beginning around the 30th week. At increased risk are those individuals with rare conditions, which are generally passed on hereditarily, who have higher than normal levels of methemoglobin in their blood. Individuals with digestive difficulties due to reduced stomach acidity are also at higher risk. Boiling water that has elevated nitrates should be avoided, since this only results in increasing the concentration of nitrate as the water evaporates.
 

https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/csem.asp?csem=28&po=8

EPA has set an enforceable standard called a maximum contaminant level (MCL) in water for nitrates at 10 parts per million (ppm) (10 mg/L) and for nitrites at 1 ppm (1 mg/L) [EPA 2002; EPA 2012].

The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization and the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Food have set an acceptable daily intake (ADI) for nitrate of 0-3.7 milligrams (mg) nitrate ion/kilogram (kg) body weight. This intake appears to be safe for healthy neonates, children, and adults. The same is also true of the EPA reference dose (RfD) for nitrate of 1.6 mg nitrate nitrogen/kg body weight per day (equivalent to about 7.0 mg nitrate ion/kg body weight per day) [EPA 2002; EPA 2012].

JECFA has proposed an ADI for nitrite of 0-0.07 mg nitrite ion/kg body weight. EPA has set an RfD of 0.l mg nitrite nitrogen/kg body weight per day (equivalent to 0.33 mg nitrite ion/kg body weight per day) [Mensinga et al. 2003; Abadin et al. 1998; EPA 2002; EPA 2012].

Bottled water

Allowable levels in bottled water:

Nitrate 10 mg/L (as nitrogen)
Nitrite 1 mg/L (as nitrogen)
Total nitrates, nitrites 10 mg/L (as nitrogen)
Allowable levels as an additive to foods:

As a preservative and color fixative, with or without sodium nitrite, in
Smoked, cured sablefish
Smoked, cured salmon
Smoked, cured shad
so that the level of sodium nitrate does not exceed 500 parts per million (ppm) and the level of sodium nitrite does not exceed 200 ppm in the finished product.
As a preservative and color fixative, with or without sodium nitrite, in meat-curing preparations for the home curing of meat and meat products (including poultry and wild game), with directions for use which limit the amount of sodium nitrate to not more than 500 ppm in the finished meat product and the amount of sodium nitrite to not more than 200 ppm in the finished meat product.
The food additive potassium nitrate may be safely used as a curing agent in the processing of cod roe, in an amount not to exceed 200 ppm of the finished roe.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulates food ingredients approved for use in the production of meat and poultry products. This includes inspection for required labeling of meat products when substances such as sodium nitrate are used in meat packaging [USDA 2012].

Infant Methemoglobinemia: The Role of Dietary Nitrate in Food and Water

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/116/3/784


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## wade

DaveOmak said:


> High enough concentrations of _*nitrate*_ in drinking water can result in a temporary blood disorder in infants called methemoglobinemia, commonly called "blue baby syndrome." In severe, untreated cases, brain damage and eventually death can result from suffocation due to lack of oxygen.


Thanks Dave - A lot of good information there too. I see though that the only mention of Blue Baby Syndrome was in conjunction with Nitrate.


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## chef jimmyj

Info from a UK article below. Many references to Nitrate and Blue Baby Syndrome don't seem to include reference to Nitrate conversion to Nitrite by saliva and gut Flora. Maybe it is assumed the reader knows this. Therefore, both are of concern...JJ


http://www.ecifm.rdg.ac.uk/bluebabs.htm

Blue Baby Syndrome - An illness that begins when large amounts of nitrates in water are ingested by an infant and converted to nitrite by the digestive system. The nitrite then reacts with oxyhemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying blood protein) to form metheglobin, which cannot carry oxygen. If a large enough amount of metheglobin is formed in the blood, body tissues may be deprived of oxygen, causing the infant to develop a blue coloration of their mucous membranes and possibly digestive and respiratory problems. This condition is also known as methemoglobinemia.

The majority of cases have occurred when nitrate levels have been over 100 mg/litre. However, in many cases bacterial contamination of the water causing gut infections was present or suspected. There have been no cases in the UK since 1972.


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## wade

Thats great JJ - Thanks


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## wade

DaveOmak said:


> ...  I would use a vacuum tub to suck all the stuff into the meat...   I have found 3 pulses does good....   Vac... release...  Vac... release.... Vac... release and the liquid it all sucked into the meat...    dry on paper towels then into the smoker or dehydrator.....   Nitrite starts to break down at ~130 F....


Do you have more info on this Dave. I would like to give it a try.

Cheers, Wade


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## DanMcG

Thanks for the charts Dave!


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## daveomak

Wade said:


> DaveOmak said:
> 
> 
> 
> High enough concentrations of _*nitrate*_ in drinking water can result in a temporary blood disorder in infants called methemoglobinemia, commonly called "blue baby syndrome." In severe, untreated cases, brain damage and eventually death can result from suffocation due to lack of oxygen.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks Dave - A lot of good information there too. I see though that the only mention of Blue Baby Syndrome was in conjunction with Nitrate.
Click to expand...

Short-Term (Acute) Effects
Nitrite changes the normal form of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood to the rest of the body, into a form called methemoglobin that cannot carry oxygen.


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## daveomak

DanMcG said:


> Thanks for the charts Dave!


..
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






..


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## webpoppy8

Not sure how to read this... guess I'm stupid, or maybe it's the wine...

Can I smoke my sausage to 150 degrees for - say, an hour - and have it be safe?


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## daveomak

webpoppy8 said:


> Not sure how to read this... guess I'm stupid, or maybe it's the wine...
> 
> Can I smoke my sausage to 150 degrees for - say, an hour - and have it be safe?


Poppy evening....  the first charts shows...   134 deg. IT for 45 minutes and it's safe....   The 2nd chart shows 35 minutes at 134 deg, F...  The time a temp are a function of the type of meat...  whole muscle...  ground and formed... etc...   the natural pathogen suspected in the meat...   the processing the meat has been subjected to.....

Personally, I cook beef sticks, as an example, to ~135 deg. F in my smoker at 150 deg. F for at least 2 hours and usually 5 or 6 hours to insure death to any pathogens...  Also, to give a safety margin in the event the smoker temp is off or the meat therm is off by several degrees...  there is no fat out, moist sticks are always the result...  no grainy, sandy, saw dust type sticks in my refer....

Things I have read suggest, meat temp can NOT get any closer to oven/smoker temp than ~15 degrees...     meaning....  if the smoker is at 150, the meat will not get above 135...  I haven't personally checked those numbers because I do not have the equipment to duplicate their test....

Temperature Time Temperature Time
°F (°C) (Minutes) °F (°C) (Seconds)

130 (54.4) 112 min... 146 (63.3) 169 sec
131 (55.0) 89 min.... 147 (63.9) 134 sec
132 (55.6) 71 min.... 148 (64.4) 107 sec
133 (56.1) 56 min.... 149 (65.0) 85 sec
134 (56.7) 45 min.... 150 (65.6) 67 sec
135 (57.2) 36 min.... 151 (66.1) 54 sec
136 (57.8) 28 min.... 152 (66.7) 43 sec
137 (58.4) 23 min.... 153 (67.2) 34 sec
138 (58.9) 18 min.... 154 (67.8) 27 sec
139 (59.5) 15 min.... 155 (68.3) 22 sec
140 (60.0) 12 min.... 156 (68.9) 17 sec
141 (60.6) 9 min...... 157 (69.4) 14 sec
142 (61.1) 8 min...... 158 (70.0) 0 sec
143 (61.7) 6 min.......
144 (62.2) 5 min.......
145 (62.8) 4 min.......

Table C.1: Pasteurization times for beef, corned beef, lamb, pork and cured pork (FDA, 2009, 3-401.11.B.2).













2015-12-20 NON INTACT pasteurization table 001.jpg



__ daveomak
__ Apr 12, 2017


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## webpoppy8

Thank you Dave.  Sorry to be so dense!


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## daveomak

Valuable learning experience....   Dave


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## webpoppy8

Here's a good quote from that fact sheet (https://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/trichinae/docs/fact_sheet.htm) showing trichinosis is close to a non-issue - it dies at a very low temp:


> _Trichinella spiralis_  is killed in 47 minutes at 52˚ C (125.6˚ F), in 6 minutes at 55˚ C (131˚ F), and in < 1 minute at 60˚ C (140˚ F). It should be noted that these times and temperatures apply only when the product reaches and maintains temperatures evenly distributed throughout the meat. Alternative methods of heating, particularly the use of microwaves, have been shown to give different results, with parasites not completely inactivated when product was heated to reach a prescribed end-point temperature. The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations for processed pork products reflects experimental data, and requires pork to be cooked for 2 hours at 52.2˚ C (126˚ F), for 15 minutes at 55.6˚ C (132˚ F), and for 1 minute at 60˚ C (140˚ F).  The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that consumers of fresh pork cook the product to an internal temperature of 71˚ C or 160˚ F. Although this is considerably higher than temperatures at which trichinae are killed (about 55˚ C or 131˚ F), it allows for different methods of cooking which do not always result in even distribution of temperature throughout the meat. It should be noted that heating to 77˚ C (171˚ F) or 82˚ C (180˚ F) was not completely effective when cooking was performed using microwaves.


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## pit 4 brains

Dave, 

Great post!

You should re-post this info  in the sous vide sub-forum as well. I'll bet few people know you can have chicken med rare if its held to the correct temp for the correct time.


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## daveomak

Pit 4 Brains said:


> Dave,
> 
> Great post!
> 
> You should re-post this info  in the sous vide sub-forum as well. I'll bet few people know you can have chicken med rare if its held to the correct temp for the correct time.


Below is Doug Baldwin's poultry time/temp/thickness table from his Sous-Vide site....     I've tried rare - medium chicken and I can say from experience, it's not for me...   It may be perfectly safe to eat but the texture leaves something to be desired...

There is an article that describes the "RED" in the internal meat on a chicken....  It's because they are young birds and the bones etc. haven't "matured" and hardened like would be on an old bird...   I will find it....   

Pasteurization Time for Poultry
(starting at 41°F / 5°C and put in a 134.5–149°F / 57–65°C water bath)

  134.5°F136.5°F138°F140°F142°F143.5°F145.5°F147°F149°FThickness57°C58°C59°C60°C61°C62°C63°C64°C65°C5 mm2¼ hr1¾ hr1¼ hr45 min35 min25 min18 min15 min13 min10 mm2¼ hr1¾ hr1¼ hr55 min40 min35 min30 min25 min20 min15 mm2½ hr1¾ hr1½ hr1¼ hr50 min45 min40 min35 min30 min20 mm2¾ hr2 hr1¾ hr1¼ hr1¼ hr55 min50 min45 min40 min25 mm3 hr2¼ hr2 hr1½ hr1½ hr1¼ hr1¼ hr60 min55 min30 mm3¼ hr2¾ hr2¼ hr2 hr1¾ hr1½ hr1½ hr1¼ hr1¼ hr35 mm3¾ hr3 hr2½ hr2¼ hr2 hr1¾ hr1¾ hr1½ hr1½ hr40 mm4 hr3¼ hr2¾ hr2½ hr2¼ hr2 hr2 hr1¾ hr1¾ hr45 mm4½ hr3¾ hr3¼ hr3 hr2¾ hr2½ hr2¼ hr2 hr2 hr50 mm4¾ hr4¼ hr3¾ hr3¼ hr3 hr2¾ hr2½ hr2½ hr2¼ hr55 mm5¼ hr4½ hr4 hr3¾ hr3½ hr3¼ hr3 hr2¾ hr2¾ hr60 mm5¾ hr5 hr4½ hr4¼ hr3¾ hr3½ hr3¼ hr3¼ hr3 hr65 mm6¼ hr5½ hr5 hr4½ hr4¼ hr4 hr3¾ hr3½ hr3¼ hr70 mm7 hr6 hr5½ hr5 hr4¾ hr4½ hr4¼ hr4 hr3¾ hr
Table 4.1: Time required for at least a one million to one reduction in _Listeria_ and a ten million to one reduction in _Salmonella_ in poultry starting at 41°F (5°C). I calculated the D- and z-values using linear regression from (O’Bryan et al., 2006): for _Salmonella_ I used D[sub]60[/sub][sup]6.45[/sup] = 4.68 minutes and for _Listeria_ I used D[sub]60[/sub][sup]5.66[/sup] = 5.94 minutes. For my calculations I used a thermal diffusivity of 1.08×10[sup]-7[/sup]  m[sup]2[/sup]/s, a surface heat transfer coefficient of 95 W/m[sup]2[/sup]-K, and took β=0.28 (to simulate the heating speed of a 2:3:5 box). For more information on calculating log reductions, see Appendix A.


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## daveomak

I was looking for a different article but....  

The FDA Food Code recommends cooking chicken to *165°F* (74°C). But the pasteurization of chicken is actually a function of both temperature _and_ time. If you can hold your chicken at *145°F* (63°C) for 8.5 minutes, you can achieve the same bacterial reduction as at 165°F (74°C). In his new book Kenji López-Alt uses this principle along with the principle of carryover cooking in large masses of meat to achieve succulent, perfectly safe results at a dramatically lower pull temp. To learn the necessary thermal secrets, keep reading.

*The Food Safety Culprit: Salmonella*

Verifying the internal temperature of chicken is particularly important given the threat of salmonella bacteria in poultry. Why is there so much concern with this particular bacteria? Salmonella is a very _hardy bacteria_. It lives in the temperature range of 35-117°F (2-47°C) which is beyond what most other common food bacteria can tolerate. According to the CDC, 1 in 6 Americans gets sick from foodborne illness each year, and about _one million_ of those cases can be attributed to salmonella.

Proper cooking and refrigeration temperatures when dealing with chicken are _critical_ to avoid foodborne illnesses.

*Food Safety is About Temperature and Time*

The FDA Food Code suggests cooking chicken to 165°F (74°C) to be sure all bacteria is killed and safe to eat. This temperature is suggested because at 165°F (74°C) the chicken achieves a 7-log[sub]10 reduction—meaning that _99.99999% of the bacteria present are destroyed—_instantaneously: a foolproof rule to follow for safety. Salmonella isn’t anything to be trifled with, and 165°F (74°C) is indeed the temperature to target if preparing food for individuals at higher risk of illness (older adults, pregnant women, young children, and others with compromised immune systems).[/sub]

Not widely known is the fact that chicken can achieve the same 7-log10 reduction at temperatures as low as 136°F (58°C) as long as that temperature is held at 136°F (58°C) for at _least 63.3 minutes_. As the internal temperature increases, the holding time for a 7-log10 reduction decreases.

In a document from the [sub]USDA on [/sub]_Time and Temperature Tables for Cooking Poultry Products_[sub], the time cooked chicken must be held when brought to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) is 8.4 minutes. At 150°F (65.5°C) the time is reduced to _only 2.7 minutes!_[/sub]

*Chicken as the Temperature Rises*

In _[sub]The Food Lab[/sub]_[sub], Kenji breaks down what is going on with the protein as the internal temperature of poultry rises:[/sub]

*Under 120°F:* The meat is still considered raw. The muscle cells are bundled up in long, thin fibers giving the meat its "grain."

*At 120°F:* The protein myosin begins to coagulate, forcing out some liquid that remains within the protein sheaths at this point.

*At 140°F:* The remaining proteins within the muscle cells of the breast meat coagulate, forcing all of the liquid out of the cells. The coagulated proteins make the meat firm and opaque.

*At 150°F:* Proteins in the sheaths themselves rapidly coagulate and contract. Water that was forced out of the cells and collected within the sheaths is squeezed out of the breast meat.

*Above 150°F:* Muscle fibers in breast meat have become almost completely squeezed dry. Meat is dry and chalky.

*160-170°F:* When held in this temperature range for ten minutes, collagen in the _leg meat_ will begin to convert into rich gelatin, keeping the meat moist and juicy even after the muscle fibers have expelled most of their liquid.

*Chicken Texture at Different Pull Temps*

Below is a breakdown of what the texture of the breast meat of chicken will be at different pull temperatures:

*140°F:* Pinkish-tinged and almost translucent; extremely soft, with the texture of a warm steak; fleshy.

*145°F:* Pale, pale pink but completely opaque; very juicy, a little soft. This is Kenji’s favorite doneness temp.

*150°F:* White and opaque, juicy, and firm.

*155°F:* White and opaque, starting to turn a little bit stringy; bordering on dry.

*160°F and higher:* Dry, stringy, and chalky.

According to this temperature guide, the breast meat will become dry if taken too far above 150°F (65.5°C), while the leg meat needs to reach the temperature range of 160-170°F (71-77°C) in order for the connective tissue to dissolve into mouthwateringly rich gelatin. Knowing that salmonella has been scientifically proven to be safely eliminated at temperatures lower than 165°F (74°C), we followed Kenji’s recipe for Simple Whole Roast Chicken to the finest detail, including the 145°F (63°C) pull temperature.

*Tracking the Cook*

Using [sub]ThermaData Thermocouple Loggers[/sub][sub], we placed [/sub][sub]thermocouple needle probes[/sub][sub] in four locations: the standard recommended location at the deepest point in the breast avoiding bone (the lowest temperature found in the chicken), one in the breast toward the shoulder, another closer to the top of the breast about 1/2" below the skin, and the last probe in the center of the thigh. The data loggers enable us to see how all the temperature gradients rise over time as the lowest temperature reaches our pull temperature, and monitor the carryover cooking through a 30 minute rest to be sure it stays at or above 145°F (63°C) for at least 8.5 minutes.[/sub]

*Thermal Tip: *

Your chicken is only as safe as the lowest temperature found in the breast meat. Use an instant read digital thermometer like a [sub]Thermapen[/sub][sup][sub][emoji]174[/emoji] to find the lowest temperature to spot-check once the 145°F (63°C) alarm sounds. [/sub][/sup]

*Ingredients*

—1 whole chicken, 3-1/2 to 4 pounds

—1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil

—Kosher salt and ground black pepper

*Instructions*

• Line a sheet pan with heavy-duty foil and place a V-rack or cooling rack on the pan. Suspending the chicken above the pan is important to allow for air circulation around the entire bird.

• Preheat oven to *500°F* (260°C).

• Remove the neck and giblets and pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels. Dry skin with be more crisp and brown evenly.

*Food Safety Tip: Don’t Rinse*

Rinsing the raw chicken will cause tiny droplets of contaminated water to spray all around your kitchen increasing the risk of spreading bacteria through cross-contamination.

• Using your hands, separate the skin from the meat.

• Apply oil both under and on top of the skin. Using oil rather than butter will yield crisper skin because butter is about 18% water, which will steam and then cool the skin as it evaporates, giving the skin a spotty appearance with soft spots as it browns.

• Season on all sides with salt and pepper.

*To Truss or Not to Truss?*

Trussing—the act of tying up the bird’s legs before cooking—is an oft-recommended but totally pointless exercise. It has the opposite effect of what you want for a bird, effectively shielding the inner highs and thereby making the slowest-to-cook part cook even more slowly. Chickens and turkeys should always be left as nature intended them: with their legs wide open, to allow for maximum heating via convection. —[sup][sub]Kenji López-Alt, [/sub][/sup]_The Food Lab_[sup][sub], pg. 587[/sub][/sup]

• Place the chicken onto the prepared rack. Place the [sup][sub]ChefAlarm[/sub][/sup][sup][sub] probe into the deepest part of the breast to track the lowest temperature during the cook. Set the ChefAlarm’s high alarm to 145°F (63°C).[/sub][/sup]

• Place the chicken in the 500°F (260°C) preheated oven and turn the oven temperature down to 350°F (177°C) as soon as the oven door is shut. Continue cooking until the high alarm sounds (cook time will be approximately 1 to 1-1/2 hours depending on the size of the bird).

• Once the alarm sounds, spot-check the breast meat with an instant read thermometer like a [sup][sub]Thermapen[/sub][/sup][sup][sub] to be sure the ChefAlarm’s reading is the lowest temperature (the exact location of the lowest temperature may shift during the cook). You need to verify that the lowest reading is 145°F (63°C). Check the temperature of the leg meat, as well. It should be in the perfect 170-175°F (77-80°C) range. If not, put the chicken back into the oven for a couple more minutes.[/sub][/sup]

• Once final pull temp has been reached allow the chicken to rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes. _This is critical_. It must rest for a full 15 minutes for the full pasteurization of the meat to occur and for the chicken to be safe to eat. To be extra safe, you could use both the built in timer function in the ChefAlarm set to 15 minutes _and_ the low temperature alarm feature unique to the ChefAlarm. Simply set the low temperature alarm to 145°F (63°C) during the rest to be sure your chicken doesn’t dip below the target temperature for at least 8.5 minutes.

　

*Observing Temperature in Motion*

The graph above shows the temperature changes at various points in the whole chicken as measured by our [sup][sub]ThermaData Thermocouple Loggers[/sub][/sup][sup][sub]. You can see exactly how the internal temperatures increased during the cook. The red horizontal line represents our pull temperature of 145°F (63°C). The most dramatic rises in temperature were, unsurprisingly, in the thigh and the outer breast meat which were most directly exposed to the hot air in the oven. Neither of those areas saw a temperature increase during the rest. Rather, you can see how they began to cool immediately once the inside breast meat reached 145°F (63°C) and the chicken was removed from the oven.[/sub][/sup]

Most importantly, we found that the coolest breast meat (the internal reading above) did NOT cool when the chicken was removed from the oven. See how the purple line above continues to rise from 145°F (63°C) to a maximum temperature of 155°F (69°C) during the resting period—the most dramatic temperature increase due to carryover cooking during the rest.

It is important to note that this continuous rise in internal temperature _after_ the chicken was removed from the oven is due to the significant mass of the whole chicken being cooked. We would NOT expect to see such carryover cooking in a single chicken breast, for example.

The thigh’s peak temperature, as shown above, of 200°F (93°C) occurred as the internal breast meat reached our pull temp, resulting in a gradient variance of 55°F (30.5°C) between the coolest and hottest parts of the chicken! Many different temperatures occurring in the same roast chicken.

In summary, we were able to observe that with Kenji’s recommended pull temperature the chicken remained in the necessary thermal range above 145°F (63°C) for a full 15 minutes (more than the required 8.5 minutes for pasteurization) after pulling the chicken from the oven, making it just as safe to eat as a piece of chicken that had reached the instantaneous pasteurization temp of 165°F (74°C).

*The Real Test: How Did it Taste? *

Because the chicken was cooked to a lower temperature, the meat retained more moisture and the result was a juicy and succulent piece of chicken—not a dry bit to be found! Not only was the meat extremely juicy, but the measures taken with drying the meat and separating, oiling and salting the skin, made for crackling-crisp skin. Some of our very willing taste-testing subjects commented this was the best roasted chicken they’d ever tasted.

Because of personal preferences and some individuals being more susceptible to contracting illness, this cooking method may not be for everyone. But with the right tools and expert advice, you can experience better tasting roasted chicken. With the [sup][sub]ChefAlarm[/sub][/sup][sup][sub] and [/sub][/sup][sup][sub]Thermapen[/sub][/sup][sup][sub]‘s precision and accuracy there is no need to question your chicken’s safety. Get roasting![/sub][/sup]

[sup][sub]================================[/sub][/sup]


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## wade

DaveOmak said:


> I've tried rare - medium chicken and I can say from experience, it's not for me...   It may be perfectly safe to eat but the texture leaves something to be desired...


Totally with you there Dave. It is a but of a psychological barrier I think. Seeing a bit of pink in the joint also makes me think twice - even when I know it is perfectly safe.


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## zymer

A lot of good info posted above.  I'll throw in a couple pennies based on my experience with "industrial" food production:

A very high percentage of turkeys have the salmonella bacteria when they come in for processing.  The big companies go to _great lengths _to minimize the threat to consumers, but as with any other mass produced product sometimes a clunker slips through.  Not as familiar with chicken processing, but wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't the same.

Same with e. coli in ground beef.  

While it doesn't get the press of the above, the major companies are also very concerned with controlling listeria (https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/index.html).

These companies are always looking for new ways to improve food safety without compromising quality.  One of the latest is using pressure to kill the bad guys.  One of the most effective preventatives is irradiation, although it's got a bad rap with the public.  The same public who use microwave ovens daily.  Go figure.

On another note:

I mentioned in another thread I cook a lot of food to freeze for my parents since they're older and don't like to cook.  When doing lean pieces like chicken breast, I always cook to 145-150 and hold for the appropriate time, then freeze immediately.  That way, the risk of over-cooking/drying out the meat while re-heating is minimized.  They often comment on how juicy the chicken is.  Something to think about for those who like to cook in bulk and freeze to eat later.  Doesn't really apply to high fat foods like pulled pork etc.


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## johnmeyer

I still think that "don't rinse" is utter rubbish. Think about all the other ways stuff gets splattered:

You tear off the clear plastic wrap covering the chicken: it pops as you tear and stuff goes everywhere.
You lift the chicken out of the container and it drips: stuff goes everywhere.
You cut the whole chicken into parts: little pieces goes off the counter, onto the floor, etc.: stuff goes everywhere
You skin the chicken and pull really hard to get the skin to pop off the end of the drumstick: stuff goes everywhere
You mix up a marinade, pour it over the chicken, and when you take the chicken out, the marinade drips like crazy: stuff goes everywhere
I can go on for another two pages, but it would get obnoxious. The FDA and USDA have some good stuff, but they also have some typical lawyer/government bureaucratic idiocy mixed in. Not rinsing the chicken is most definitely the latter. I have posted this before, but if you don't rinse, you'll leave all that wonderful slaughterhouse "brew" on the chicken. What a lovely taste it adds. The closer to the sell date, the more lovely it tastes.

I would also point out that those "droplets" the FDA is so worried about are at least diluted and, if you have municipal water, they are diluted with water that still contains chlorine which, as we all know, is put in the water to get rid of the kinds of things that are on the chicken! And, just to make the point again, those droplets are about 1/1000 the size of all that stuff listed in my bullets.

So, will all respects to the FDA, some of their advice is dumb.


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