A grill cook checks a chicken thigh with a probe thermometer and reads 158°F. What should the cook do?
a.Serve it now and let the thigh rest on the plate for 2 minutes, since carryover heat finishes the cook
b.Keep cooking until the thigh reaches 175°F, the minimum the Food Code sets for dark-meat poultry (thighs and drumsticks)
c.Keep cooking until the thickest part reaches 165°F and holds for <1 second (instantaneous)
d.Serve it now, because dark meat such as chicken thigh only needs to reach 155°F for 17 seconds
Explanation
Poultry must reach a minimum internal temperature of 165°F held for <1 second (instantaneous), and the Food Code makes no distinction between light and dark meat. At 158°F the thigh has not met the requirement, so cooking must continue and the temperature must be rechecked in the thickest part. There is no 175°F standard in the Code, resting on the plate is not a substitute for reaching 165°F, and 155°F for 17 seconds is the ground-meat line of the chart.
Law Reference: FDA Food Code §3-401.11Practice all 500 questions free — no signup required.
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