What is the minimum internal temperature required to cook ground beef safely?

Cooking ground beef to a minimum internal temperature of 160°F is critical to ensure food safety. This temperature is necessary because ground beef has a higher risk of contamination compared to whole cuts of meat. When beef is ground, bacteria present on the surface can be mixed throughout the product, making it essential that the entire portion reaches this temperature to effectively kill harmful pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella.

Cooking ground beef to 160°F ensures that it has been cooked thoroughly enough to eliminate any potential foodborne illness-causing microorganisms. This guideline aligns with food safety recommendations from the USDA and public health agencies, which emphasize this specific temperature for ground meats to ensure consumer safety.