Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) Practice Exam 2025 – All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

The recommended internal temperature for ground meats to ensure they are safe to eat is 160°F (71°C). This temperature is critical because it effectively kills harmful bacteria, such as E. coli and Salmonella, which can be present in ground meats due to the grinding process. When meat is ground, any bacteria on the surface can be mixed into the entirety of the meat, making it vital to cook the meat to a sufficiently high internal temperature.

Cooking ground meats to 160°F ensures not only that the meat is free from pathogens but also that it reaches a level of doneness that enhances food safety. While other temperatures, like 155°F, may reduce bacteria to some degree, 160°F is the safest standard recognized by food safety organizations, including the USDA, to ensure that meat is cooked thoroughly.

Choosing a higher temperature of 170°F, while safe, is more than what is necessary for ground meats and may result in a drier product. Therefore, 160°F strikes the right balance between food safety and maintaining quality in terms of texture and moisture.