Hot Enough For You? Only The Thermometer Knows

When it comes to preparing ground beef, it's not easy to tell if it's properly cooked. Many people guess that their burgers are done when they're brown. However, ground beef can turn brown before disease-causing bacteria, such as E. coli O157:H7, are killed.
Canada's food is among the safest in the world, but bacteria are everywhere, including in ground beef. If food isn't handled safely, harmful bacteria can multiply to dangerous levels and make you sick. According to Health Canada, using a food thermometer is the best way to ensure that food has reached a temperature high enough to destroy harmful bacteria. Thanks to new technologies, food thermometers are now easier than ever to use, even in thin foods like hamburgers.
Food thermometers are available in lots of different shapes and sizes -disposables, pop-ups, digitals, dials-even in the tips of barbecue forks! However, not all types are appropriate for testing beef patties. Use a suitable temperature measuring device, such as a single-use temperature indicator, an instant-read fork-style thermometer, or an instant-read digital thermometer inserted in the centre of the beef patty to measure its internal temperature. For a tasty, safely-cooked burger, the internal temperature must be 71°C (160°F).
For more information on food safety, visit the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education Web site at www.canfightbac.org.