Monday 7 September 2026 · 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Join Liam Jones, founder of Pilla and a qualified food safety consultant, for a session on cooked food temperature checks.

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Understand

Proper cooking kills harmful bacteria like Salmonella, Campylobacter, and E. coli that may be present in raw ingredients. But reaching the right temperature on the outside is not enough. The core must reach the safe temperature, which is why a probe thermometer is essential.

The UK benchmark is 75°C at the thickest part for at least 2 seconds. At this temperature, virtually all harmful bacteria are killed instantly. Whole cuts of beef or lamb can be served at 63°C if properly seared, but all minced meat products must reach 75°C throughout. The probe should be inserted into the thickest part of the food, the point that takes longest to cook. Avoid touching bone (which conducts heat and gives false high readings) and fat pockets (which heat faster than meat). For liquids and sauces, stir before checking.

Reheated food must also reach 75°C at the core, but the context is different. Food has already passed through the danger zone once during cooling, and some bacteria produce heat-resistant toxins. Food should only be reheated once; if not used, it must be discarded. Visual cues like "juices run clear" are unreliable. Some properly cooked meat remains pink, and some undercooked meat appears done. Only a calibrated probe thermometer can confirm the core has reached a safe temperature.

Apply

See how cooked food temperature checks fit into your wider food safety management system in Pilla. We walk through how to build this into your system so that your team has clear processes, accountability, and a documented trail that proves compliance.

Automate

Learn how AI can speed up this process and connect Pilla to your other tools, giving you a much more joined up system across your business.

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Bring your questions , we'll be answering them live throughout.