Ground beef should be cooked to what minimum internal temperature to ensure safety?

Ground beef should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure safety. This temperature is critical for effectively killing harmful bacteria, such as E. coli and Salmonella, which can be present in raw ground beef.

When cooking ground beef, it is important to reach this temperature throughout the meat to guarantee that any pathogens are destroyed, thus reducing the risk of foodborne illness. Ground beef is particularly susceptible to contamination because the grinding process can distribute bacteria that may be present on the surface of the meat throughout the product.

Reaching only lower temperatures, such as 145, 150, or 155 degrees Fahrenheit, does not provide enough assurance that all harmful bacteria have been eliminated. Therefore, achieving 160 degrees Fahrenheit is the recommended standard for safely preparing ground beef.