Internal temp

[frassettor]

We use a couple different companies for our sausage. ( I dont know if i can mention them or not) One says cook it till it reaches 148 internal. I usually do it till it reaches 150, however my wife was giving it a go, and she took it out at 145 the meat should be ok,your just cooking out the moisture. She put it in a cold water bath till 120 then refgerated it overnight and froze it. She had distributed to friends. I was out of town. Should I worry?

 

[geek with fire]

I'm not going to give you a "final answer" as my gutt says 145 seems low. Although, normally, it will continue to rise to at least 150. However, I'm guessing the bath killed that.

However, the USDA says that trichinosis is safely avoided at temperatures of 140 and up, so that being the main concern, you should be safe.

For reference:
http://www.askthemeatman.com/pork_Trichinosis.htm

 

[richtee]

i'm with Geek. But you DO have a lawyer anyway, right? Heh...just funnin'.

I bring my pork sausage to 145° and ice bath it. Keeps the fat from rendering too much and making a mess inside the casing.

 

[bombo80]

The schedule I used, when I made sausage professionally, says for porduct that has pork added to it, it should be cooked to an IT of 148* - 152*. With all beef product, an IT of 142* - 145* is all that is necessary.

So, without really knowing what you made, and what meat was used, here is my suggestions....

If it is a bratwurst, polish, wiener type sausage, a style that you would generally reheat anyway, I wouldn't be concerned.

If it is a type summer sausage, one that you would eat right from the fridge, I wouldn't be too concerned, but I would definitely keep an eye on it. Do not let it sit out, unrefrigerated, for any length of time. It should be OK, given the +/- variances of thermometers.

IMHO

 

[seminole]

Trichinae in pork is killed by raising its internal temperature to 137 F (58 C). The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations requires pork to be cooked for 1 minute at 140 F (60 C). We can not apply these procedures to a product that will be cold smoked and never cooked. Storing pork at low temperatures also kills trichinae. The U.S. Depertment of Africulture's Code of Federal Regulations requires that pork intended fo ruse in processed products be frozen at 0 F (-18 C) for 106 hours, -10 F (-23 C) for 63 hours, -35 F (-37 C) for 0.5 hours. It can be seen that placing pork for 4 days and 10 hours in a home freezer (0 F) will eliminate the danger of trichinae. Microwaving, curing, drying or smoking is not effective in preventing Trichinae.

It should be noted that freezing will not kill larval cycts in bears and other wild game that live in Northwestern U.S. and Alaska. That meat has to be cooked to 160 F internal temperature (72 C).

You can read more about trichinae at: http://www.wedlinydomowe.com/sausage.../trichinae.htm