Subboiling Moist Heat Favors the Selection of Enteric Pathogen Clostridium difficile PCR Ribotype 078 Spores in Food

Table 1

Publicized minimum recommended cooking temperatures in North America to reduce exposure to foodborne pathogens.

Food category	Example items	Temperature	Rest time
Leftovers & casseroles	N/A	74°C (165°F)	None
Poultry	Chicken, turkey, duck, and goose; whole or parts	74°C (165°F)	None
Ground meats	Turkey, chicken	74°C (165°F)	None
	Beef, pork, veal, and lamb	71°C (160°F)	None
Fresh beef, veal, and lamb	Steaks, roasts, and chops	63°C (145°F)	3 minutes
Seafood	Fin fish, shrimp, lobster, and crabs, clams, oysters, and mussels; scallops	63°C (145°F) or cook until flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork	None
Pork and ham	Fresh pork/raw ham	63°C (145°F)	3 minutes
	Precooked ham (to reheat)	60°C (140°F)	None

Adapted from U.S. cooking guidelines (http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html). In Canada, similar recommendations exist, except that whole and stuffed poultry should be cooked to at least 85°C (185°F) (see “safe internal cooking temperatures” at http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/). Rest time refers to the number of minutes needed at the recommended temperature to inhibit at least units of Salmonella, to be in compliance with the USDA performance standard for lethality (http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FRPubs/95-033F/95-033F_Appendix_A.htm) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)—Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) 9 CFR section 318.17(a)() (http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2008/janqtr/9cfr318.17.html). Health Canada recently reduced the minimum internal cooking temperature recommendation for whole poultry from 85°C to 82°C based on Salmonella research [23].