Safe internal temperature chart: the official numbers for every protein, in °F and °C
This is TempChart's master reference: every safe minimum internal cooking temperature published by the US food-safety agencies, with the Canadian and UK numbers alongside wherever they differ. Every figure below was transcribed from an official agency chart on 2026-11-16 — nothing is estimated, averaged, or re-rounded. If you only need one number fast, use the doneness lookup tool; if you want the reasoning behind each row, it's in the linked guides.
Key takeaways
- Poultry: 165 °F (73.9 °C) — whole birds, parts, ground, giblets and stuffing, no rest required.
- Whole-muscle beef, pork, veal, lamb: 145 °F (62.8 °C) + 3-minute rest.
- Ground meats: 160 °F (71.1 °C); fish: 145 °F (62.8 °C); egg dishes: 160 °F (71.1 °C); leftovers and casseroles: 165 °F (73.9 °C).
- Canada and the UK differ on several foods (whole birds 82 °C / 180 °F in Canada) — differences are shown, not averaged.
The US chart (USDA FSIS + FoodSafety.gov)
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) publishes the chart below with exact Celsius conversions — 62.8, 71.1 and 73.9 °C. FoodSafety.gov, the joint HHS/FDA/USDA/CDC site, publishes the same Fahrenheit numbers with rounded Celsius (63, 71, 74 °C). Both prints are shown; why two °C columns exist is explained below the table.
| Food | Type | °F | °C (as printed) | Rest time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken, turkey & all poultry | Whole bird, breasts, legs, thighs, wings, ground poultry, giblets, sausage, stuffing in poultry | 165 | 73.9 (FSIS) · 74 (FoodSafety.gov) | None |
| Beef, bison, veal, goat, lamb | Whole cuts: steaks, roasts, chops | 145 | 62.8 (FSIS) · 63 (FoodSafety.gov) | 3 minutes |
| Pork | Whole cuts: steaks, roasts, chops | 145 | 62.8 (FSIS) · 63 (FoodSafety.gov) | 3 minutes |
| Ground meat & sausage (beef, pork, veal, lamb) | Burgers, meatballs, fresh sausage | 160 | 71.1 (FSIS) · 71 (FoodSafety.gov) | None |
| Fish | Whole, steaks, fillets (salmon, tuna, cod…) | 145 | 62.8 (FSIS) · 63 (FoodSafety.gov) | None |
| Shrimp, lobster, crab, scallops | All | — | Visual test: flesh pearly or white, opaque | — |
| Clams, oysters, mussels | All | — | Visual test: shells open during cooking | — |
| Eggs | Raw shell eggs | — | Visual test: yolk and white both firm | — |
| Egg dishes | Frittata, quiche, egg casseroles | 160 | 71.1 (FSIS) · 71 (FoodSafety.gov) | None |
| Ham, raw (fresh or smoked, uncooked) | Whole cuts | 145 | 62.8 (FSIS) · 63 (FoodSafety.gov) | 3 minutes |
| Ham, fully cooked (reheating) | Any | 165 | 73.9 (FSIS) · 74 (FoodSafety.gov) | None |
| Ham, USDA-inspected-plant packaged (reheat) | Per FoodSafety.gov note on the chart | 140 | 60 (FoodSafety.gov) | None |
| Rabbit & venison | Wild or farm-raised | 160 | 71 (FoodSafety.gov) | None |
| Leftovers | Any type | 165 | 73.9 (FSIS) · 74 (FoodSafety.gov) | None |
| Casseroles | Meat and meatless | 165 | 73.9 (FSIS) · 74 (FoodSafety.gov) | None |
Why two °C columns: 62.8 vs 63, 73.9 vs 74
USDA FSIS converts exactly: 145 °F is printed as 62.8 °C, 160 °F as 71.1 °C and 165 °F as 73.9 °C. FoodSafety.gov prints the same chart with rounded metric values — 63, 71 and 74 °C. Both are official; they are the same temperature expressed with different precision. TempChart's policy is to show each agency's print as printed and never tidy one into the other, because "official numbers only, never rounded" is the whole brand. The lookup tool applies the same rule automatically.
Rest time: the 3-minute rule
The rest column is not cosmetic. FSIS guidance — formalized when pork dropped from 160 °F to 145 °F in May 2011 — requires whole-muscle cuts (beef, bison, veal, goat, lamb, pork and raw ham) to stand for at least 3 minutes after reaching 145 °F (62.8 °C), either on the heat or off it, before carving or eating. During the rest, the surface and interior equalize and any residual heat finishes the safety margin. Poultry, ground meats, fish, egg dishes and leftovers carry no official rest requirement. The physics — carryover cooking and how long "3 minutes" really matters — is covered in rest time science.
Where Canada differs — shown, not averaged
Health Canada publishes its own °C-first chart, and several numbers genuinely differ from the US chart:
| Food | US | Health Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Whole birds | 165 °F (73.9 °C) | 82 °C (180 °F) |
| Pork whole cuts | 145 °F (62.8 °C) + 3-min rest | 71 °C (160 °F) |
| Fish | 145 °F (62.8 °C) | 70 °C (158 °F) |
| Egg dishes | 160 °F (71.1 °C) | 74 °C (165 °F) |
| Beef whole cuts | 145 °F (62.8 °C) + 3-min rest | 63 °C (145 °F) medium-rare · 71 °C (160 °F) medium · 77 °C (170 °F) well done |
| Mechanically tenderized beef | 145 °F (62.8 °C) + 3-min rest | 63 °C (145 °F), turned at least twice during cooking |
| Game meats & ground game | 160 °F (71 °C) (rabbit/venison) | 74 °C (165 °F) |
Follow the agency for where you live. Neither chart is "wrong" — they reflect different risk framings (Canada's whole-bird 82 °C/180 °F, for instance, is far more conservative than the US 165 °F/73.9 °C).
How the UK frames the same question
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) does not publish one number per food. Its rule: the centre of the food reaches 70 °C for 2 minutes, or any equivalent combination — 60 °C for 45 minutes, 65 °C for 10 minutes, 75 °C for 30 seconds, 80 °C for 6 seconds. Poultry, pork, minced meat and offal must be cooked through (no pink, juices clear); whole cuts of other meats may be served pink if the outside is fully seared, because surface bacteria never reach the interior. The equivalence logic — time matters as much as temperature — is the same principle behind sous-vide pasteurization tables.
How to take the reading
Insert an instant-read probe into the thickest part of the food, avoiding bone, fat and gristle. For whole poultry FSIS specifies three spots: the innermost part of the thigh, the innermost part of the wing, and the thickest part of the breast. For roasts, check two or three places; the safe reading is the lowest number you find. Colour is never a test — FSIS's own research shows ground beef can brown well before 160 °F (71.1 °C) and stay pink after it. Calibration (ice-point 32 °F / 0 °C, boiling-point 212 °F / 100 °C) takes two minutes and is explained in thermometer types and calibration.
Instant-read thermometer (concept pick)
Every number on this chart assumes a probe you trust. A basic instant-read digital thermometer covers all of these temps; see our calibration guide to keep it honest.
Check price →Reference, not personalized advice
TempChart republishes official guidance for home cooks. People who are pregnant, immunocompromised, or cooking for young children or older adults should follow the stricter advice their health authority publishes for their situation.
Related reading
- What temp is chicken done? 165 °F / 73.9 °C explained
- Why ground meat has its own 160 °F / 71.1 °C rule
- Leftover safety: the 2-hour rule and 3–4 day fridge window
- Freezer and fridge storage times chart
- Egg safety temperatures: runny yolks, egg dishes, 160 °F
Sources verified: 2026-11-16. USDA FSIS Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart · FoodSafety.gov chart (reviewed 2024-11-21) · Health Canada safe cooking temperatures · UK FSA Cooking your food. Official numbers only — never rounded.