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Guide
For home cooking, the Food Standards Agency gives equivalent time-and-temperature combinations, including 70°C for 2 minutes or 75°C for 30 seconds. Measure the centre or thickest part with a clean probe.
FSA home-cooking guidance lists these equivalent combinations for the middle of food: 60°C for 45 minutes, 65°C for 10 minutes, 70°C for 2 minutes, 75°C for 30 seconds or 80°C for 6 seconds. Follow the recipe or packet where it gives specific instructions.
Poultry, pork, minced meat, burgers, sausages, kebabs, rolled joints and offal should be cooked thoroughly. Whole cuts of beef and lamb can be served pink in the middle when the outside has been properly seared, because the FSA distinguishes intact whole cuts from minced or pierced meat.
Insert a clean probe into the centre or thickest part. Avoid bone and the tray. With thin food, insert from the side so more of the sensing area sits in the centre.
Reheat leftovers until steaming hot throughout and only reheat once. FSA business guidance states that hot-held food must remain at or above 63°C; this is different from the temperature needed to cook food safely.
The FSA describes 8–63°C as the danger zone in which bacteria may grow. Keep the fridge at 5°C or below so chilled food remains at 8°C or below, and return perishable food to cold storage promptly.
Clean and disinfect the probe before and after use to reduce cross-contamination. Do not immerse the display unless its maker explicitly permits it.
Common questions
The Food Standards Agency offers printable and PDF versions of its cooking guidance. Use the live FSA page linked below so you get the current advice.
It should separate cooking time-and-temperature combinations from reheating, hot holding and chilled storage, because each has a different purpose.
The FSA gives 70°C for 2 minutes as one option, alongside equivalent combinations such as 75°C for 30 seconds.
No. Infrared instruments read the surface; use a clean probe to measure the centre of meat.
Keep exploring
An instant-read thermometer suits quick checks; a leave-in or wireless probe is better for tracking a roast without repeatedly opening the oven.
Thermapen ONE is our top all-round pick for fast spot checks. ThermoPro TP19H is the simpler alternative, while DOT and MEATER Pro suit cooks who need continuous monitoring.
Pick a folding digital thermometer for rapid checks or a leave-in digital probe for alarms during a roast. Accuracy and sensing-tip placement matter more than extra presets.