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COOKING SAFELY IN THE OVEN
Ovens can play an important role at mealtime, but special care must be taken when
cooking or reheating meat, poultry, fish, and eggs to make sure they are prepared safely.
Ovens can cook unevenly and leave “cold spots,” where harmful bacteria can survive.
For this reason, it is important to use the following safe microwaving tips to prevent
foodborne illness.
Oven cooking
• Arrange food items evenly in a covered dish and add some liquid if needed. Cover
the dish with a lid or plastic wrap; loosen or vent the lid or wrap to let steam escape.
The moist heat that is created will help destroy harmful bacteria and ensure uniform
cooking. Cooking bags also provide safe, even cooking.
• Do not cook large cuts of meat on high power (100%). Large cuts of meat should
be cooked on medium power (50%) for longer periods. This allows heat to reach the
center without overcooking outer areas.
• To ensure food is cooked more evenly, stir or rotate food midway through the
microwave time to eliminate cold spots where harmful bacteria can survive.
• When partially cooking food in the oven to finish cooking on the grill or in a
conventional oven, it is important to transfer the microwaved food to the other heat
source immediately. Never partially cook food and store it for later use.
• Use a food thermometer to verify the food has reached a safe minimum internal
temperature. Cooking times may vary because ovens vary in power and efficiency.
Always allow standing time, which completes the cooking, before checking the internal
temperature with a food thermometer.
Cook foods to the following safe minimum internal temperatures:
• Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal
temperature of 145°F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat
from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three
minutes before carving or consuming. For reasons of personal preference, consumers
may choose to cook meat to higher temperatures.
• Cook all raw ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal to an internal temperature of 160°F as
measured with a food thermometer.
• Cook all poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F as measured with a
food thermometer.
• Microwaving stuffed, whole poultry is not recommended. The stuffing might not
reach the temperature needed to destroy harmful bacteria. Cook stuffing separately
to 165°F.
• Cook egg dishes and casseroles to 160°F.
• Reheat leftovers to 165°F.
Microwave defrosting
• Remove food from packaging before defrosting. Do not use foam trays and plastic
wraps because they may not be heat stable at high temperatures. Melting or warping
may cause harmful chemicals to migrate into food.
• Cook meat, poultry, egg casseroles, and fish immediately after defrosting in the oven
because some areas of the frozen food may begin to cook during the defrosting time.
Do not hold partially cooked food to use later.
• Cover foods with a lid or a microwave-safe plastic wrap to hold in moisture and
provide safe, even heating.
• Heat ready-to-eat foods such as hot dogs, luncheon meats, fully cooked ham, and
leftovers until steaming hot.
• After reheating foods in the oven, allow standing time. Then, use a clean food
thermometer to check that food has reached 165°F.
Containers and wraps
• Only use cookware that is specially manufactured for use in the oven. Glass, ceramic
containers, and all plastics should be labeled for oven use.
• Plastic storage containers such as margarine tubs, take-out containers, whipped
topping bowls, and other one-time use containers should not be used in ovens.
These containers can warp or melt, possibly causing harmful chemicals to migrate
into the food.
• Microwave plastic wraps, wax paper, cooking bags, parchment paper, and white
microwave-safe paper towels should be safe to use. Do not let plastic wrap touch
foods during microwaving.
• Never use thin plastic storage bags, brown paper or plastic grocery bags, newspapers,
or aluminum foil in the oven.
For updated or additional information about safe food handling and cooking, visit
www.foodsafety.gov.
Humidity Sensor
The Sensor Features detect the increasing humidity released during cooking. The oven
automatically adjusts the cooking time to various types and amounts of food.
Do not use the Sensor Features twice in succession on the same food portion – it may
result in severely overcooked or burnt food. If food is under cooked after the countdown,
use
Time Cook
for additional cooking time.
Grill cooking
Grill cooking uses the upper heater elements to grill food similar to a conventional oven.
Always use the tall rack with grilling.
