Pennsylvania Food Thermometer Fact Sheet Poster

·  Dial thermometers should have the stem inserted straight into the food o\
r at an angle about 2 inches into the 
thickest part of the food without touching bone or fat.  The temperature should register in about 15 seconds. 
Thin foods such as hamburgers, chicken breasts or pork chops may require\
 insertion in the side. 
 
·  The stems of digital thermometers should be inserted about ½-inch or \
less straight into the center of the thickest 
part of the food or at an angle without touching bone or fat. The temper\
ature will take about 5 seconds to 
register. Digital thermometers are ideal for thin hamburgers, chicken br\
easts, and smaller pieces of meat or 
poultry. 	
Using a Food Thermometer 
Fact Sheet 	
The Food Code requires that food establishments have readily available f\
or use some type of food temperature measuring 
device to ensure that food is being properly cooked.  A food thermometer is used to measure the internal temperature of foods \
to ensure that a safe temperature is reached and that harmful bacteria l\
ike Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 are 
destroyed.  You should use a food thermometer whenever you prepare hamburgers, poult\
ry, roasts, chops, egg casseroles, 
meat loaves, and other combination dishes. 
Types of Food Thermometers 
There are several types of food thermometers available for use, the most\
 common being digital and dial metal stem 
thermometers.  All food thermometers should be capable of measuring temperatures from 0\
ºF to 220ºF (±2ºF). 
Digital thermometers (or “thermistors”), available in many kitchen supply and grocer\
y stores, provide a digital 
readout panel on top of a long metal stem. Digital thermometers are batt\
ery powered and need to be turned on and 
off.  The internal temperature of the food being checked is registered in abou\
t 5 seconds.  Digital thermometers 
should be placed in food at the end of the cooking time to check for fin\
al cooking temperature. The sensor is located 
in the tip of the probe, making it ideal for measuring temperatures in t\
hin foods, such as hamburgers and chicken 
breasts.  Digital thermometers are not oven-safe and should never be immersed in w\
ater. 
Dial thermometers are also available in most kitchen supply and grocery stores. Dial ther\
mometers have a range of 
temperatures featured on a round dial on top of a long metal stem. Large\
 dial thermometers are oven-safe and good 
for large roasts and whole poultry.  Smaller instant-read dial thermometers are not designed to stay in the o\
ven, but 
are used to spot-test food during and at the end of the cooking time. Th\
e thermometer senses the internal 
temperature of the food along the stem from the tip to about 2 inches up\
 the stem. The temperature indicated on the 
dial is an average of the temperatures along the sensing area. 
How to Use a Food Thermometer 
To correctly measure the internal temperature of the food being cooked, \
all food thermometers must be properly inserted into 
the item being checked. 
Note: Instant-read dial and digital thermometers are designed for quick temp\
erature reading and should not be placed into 
food during cooking. All thermometers should be calibrated periodically \
for accuracy following the manufacturer’s 
directions. 	
For more information about operating a food establishment,  contact your local health department.