Pork guidance

Pork at 145 °F (62.8 °C): the 2011 USDA change, and why your grandma's 160 °F still shows up

Nov 16, 2026 · ~5 min read

For decades American cooks were told to cook pork to 160 °F (71.1 °C) — dry chops were the price of safety. In May 2011, USDA changed that: whole-cut pork now needs 145 °F (62.8 °C) plus a 3-minute rest. If you learned the old number, this page is the story of what changed, what didn't, and how Canada and the UK still answer differently.

Key takeaways

US rule since May 2011: pork chops, roasts and tenderloin — 145 °F (62.8 °C) + 3 minutes rest. A slight pink blush can be safe.
Ground pork and fresh pork sausage did NOT change: 160 °F (71.1 °C), no rest.
Health Canada still lists pork whole cuts at 71 °C (160 °F); the UK FSA requires pork cooked through (centre 70 °C for 2 min or equivalent).
The rest time is part of the rule — it was introduced together with the lower temperature.

The 2011 change, in USDA's own words

On May 25, 2011, USDA announced new recommended cooking temperatures: whole cuts of pork moved from 160 °F to 145 °F (62.8 °C) with a three-minute rest, and in the same announcement the agency standardized all poultry at 165 °F (73.9 °C). The reasons were concrete. Trichinella — the parasite that created the "cook pork to death" era — had been effectively eliminated from commercial US pork through production controls, and better data on thermal inactivation showed 145 °F plus a short rest delivered the required pathogen reduction. USDA's own messaging noted the result: pork that is slightly pink in the centre can still be safe.

The three-minute rest was not an afterthought — it was the condition of the lower number. During the rest, the surface and interior equalize, which is why the rule reads "cook to 145 °F (62.8 °C) and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes". The rest can happen on or off the heat. The physics is covered in rest time science.

What did not change in 2011

Everything with increased surface-area risk stayed at 160 °F (71.1 °C): ground pork, burgers, meatballs and fresh pork sausage — the same rule as ground beef, because grinding moves surface bacteria into the middle of the meat (see why ground meat differs). Raw ham follows the whole-cut rule at 145 °F (62.8 °C) + 3-minute rest, while reheating a fully cooked ham is a different question entirely — 165 °F (73.9 °C), or 140 °F (60 °C) for hams packaged in USDA-inspected plants — all listed in the master temperature chart.

Jurisdictions disagree about pork — honestly shown

This is TempChart's clearest example of why we never average official numbers. For the same pork chop:

Agency	Whole-cut pork rule	Ground pork
USDA FSIS / FoodSafety.gov (US)	145 °F (62.8 °C) + 3-min rest	160 °F (71.1 °C)
Health Canada	71 °C (160 °F)	71 °C (160 °F)
UK Food Standards Agency	Cooked through — centre 70 °C for 2 min (or official equivalent)	Cooked through (minced meats must be fully cooked)

Canada's 71 °C (160 °F) is the "old" US number, still current there. The UK treats pork like poultry — bacteria can be present throughout the meat in the FSA's framing, so it must be cooked through with no pink. None of these is a rounding of another; they are different risk decisions by different agencies. Follow the one where you live, and check any cut instantly with the doneness lookup tool.

Why pink pork still scares people

Two honest reasons. First, habit: anyone taught the pre-2011 160 °F rule learned "pink pork = danger," and the memory outlived the regulation. Second, real edge cases: cured or smoked pork (ham, Canadian bacon) stays pink at any temperature for chemical reasons, and pork cooked in some ovens holds a blush even at 160 °F (71.1 °C). The USDA's position is that colour was never the test — temperature is. Probe the thickest part of the chop away from bone, and trust 145 °F (62.8 °C) plus the full three minutes.

One exception worth remembering

Mechanically tenderized pork and beef — needles or blades pierce the surface and can push bacteria inward — needs the same 145 °F (62.8 °C) + 3-min rest rule read carefully, with the probe placed in the thickest area. Health Canada adds: turn mechanically tenderized steaks at least twice during cooking.