USDA GUIDELINES ON COOKING TEMPERATURES

Sometimes I get questions regarding slow cooking, temperatures, and food safety.  First let me say I have never heard of anyone getting sick from food cooked in a slow cooker.  I'm sure someone somewhere has; people get sick all the time from improperly prepared foods.  The fact is, cooking in a crockpot and/or slow cooker is perfectly safe.

The United States Department of Agriculture guidelines say that bacteria in food is killed at a temperature of 165 degrees.  Meats cooked in a slow cooker/crockpot reach an internal temperature of 170 degrees in beef and as high as 190 degrees in poultry.

If you follow the cooker and/or recipe guidelines and keep the lid on during cooking, your food is perfectly safe!