Certified Professional Food Safety (CP-FS) Practice Exam

Cooking poultry to an internal temperature of 165°F is essential to ensure that harmful bacteria, such as Salmonella and Campylobacter, which are commonly associated with raw or undercooked poultry, are effectively destroyed. This temperature applies specifically to all types of poultry, including chicken, turkey, and duck, and ensures food safety when the product is served or hot held.

While certain vegetables and fish have their own safe cooking temperatures, they do not require the same stringent standards as poultry. For instance, vegetables generally need to reach lower temperatures for cooking, and fish is recommended to be cooked to a minimum of 145°F. Meat products can vary based on the type; for example, ground meats typically require a higher cooking temperature, but not all meat products necessitate reaching 165°F. Thus, the specific requirement for cooking poultry at this higher temperature highlights the critical concerns regarding foodborne pathogens associated with it.