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Kitchen guide

Safe cooking temperatures for UK kitchens

Core temperature targets for poultry, pork, fish and more, the danger zone that drives every rule, and how to probe properly, so nothing leaves the pass undercooked.

The outside of a piece of food can look cooked while the inside is still dangerous. That’s why UK food safety guidance is built around core temperature, the reading at the thickest part of the food, not how something looks or how long it’s been on the heat. Get the core temperature right and harmful bacteria like Salmonella, Campylobacter and E. coli are destroyed. Get it wrong and it’s one of the quickest routes to food poisoning.

The danger zone

Above 63°C — hold hot

Legal minimum for holding hot food. Bacteria growth slows sharply.

8°C – 63°C — the danger zone

Bacteria multiply fastest here. Move food through this range as quickly as possible.

Below 8°C — keep chilled

Legal maximum for chilled storage. Best practice: aim for below 5°C.

Cooking and cooling both have one job: get food through the danger zone as fast as possible.

Minimum core temperatures

The UK standard for thorough cooking is 75°C on an instant probe reading, or the FSA-accepted equivalent of 70°C held for 2 minutes. Either meets the benchmark.

Poultry (chicken, turkey, duck)

75°C

Highest risk — always probe the thickest part, avoid pink juices.

Whole cuts of beef & lamb

Sear outside

Whole-muscle steaks and joints can be served rare if the outside is fully seared. Never applies to mince, burgers, kebabs or rolled/pierced joints — those need 75°C.

Pork & pork products

75°C

Including sausages and burgers — no pink allowed.

Fish

75°C

Cook until steaming hot, opaque and flaking easily.

Shellfish & crustaceans

75°C

Should be piping hot throughout.

Egg dishes

75°C

Runny or lightly cooked eggs are fine with British Lion (or equivalent assured) eggs, including for vulnerable groups. Otherwise cook until firm.

Reheated food

75°C

Reheat once, in England, Wales & NI. In Scotland, reheated food must legally reach 82°C.

Soups, sauces, gravies

75°C

Bring to a rolling boil, then hold at 63°C or above.

Probing rules

  • Sanitise the probe before and after every use with a probe wipe or hot soapy water.
  • Insert the probe into the thickest part of the food, away from bone.
  • Wait for the reading to stabilise — at least 5 seconds.
  • Log probe readings for high-risk items in your temperature records.
  • If the food hasn’t reached the required temperature, return it to the heat immediately.
  • Calibrate the probe regularly: it should read 0°C in iced water and 100°C in boiling water.

Common mistakes

  • Judging doneness by colour or juices alone instead of probing the thickest part.
  • Probing near a bone, which reads hotter than the meat around it.
  • Reheating food more than once, or reheating without hitting 75°C (82°C in Scotland).
  • Leaving raw meat, especially mince, burgers or kebabs, pink in the middle because it "looks cooked".
  • Never calibrating the probe, so every reading after the first is guesswork.

Temperatures are only proof if they’re recorded

A probe reading that isn’t logged is gone the moment the food leaves the pass. Pairing core temperature checks with a temperature log turns each check into a timestamped record, sitting alongside cleaning schedules, delivery checks and allergen information in one food safety management system.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum safe cooking temperature in the UK?

The UK standard for thorough cooking is a core temperature of 75°C, or the FSA-accepted equivalent of 70°C held for 2 minutes. Either meets the benchmark for high-risk foods like poultry, pork, fish and reheated dishes.

Can you serve beef or lamb rare in a commercial kitchen?

Whole-muscle cuts of beef and lamb, such as steaks and joints, can be served rare if the outside has been fully seared, because bacteria live on the surface rather than inside the muscle. This exception never applies to mince, burgers, kebabs or rolled and pierced joints, which must reach 75°C (or 70°C for 2 minutes) throughout.

What is the food safety danger zone?

The danger zone is 8°C to 63°C, the temperature range where bacteria multiply fastest. Food should pass through this range as quickly as possible during cooking and cooling. Hot food must be held at 63°C or above, and chilled food at 8°C or below — both are legal requirements in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

What temperature does reheated food need to reach?

Reheated food needs to reach 75°C (or 70°C held for 2 minutes) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and should only be reheated once. In Scotland, reheating to 82°C is a legal requirement.

Turn every probe reading into a timestamped record

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Related: Food safety management software guide · Restaurant temperature log · Food date labelling rules

Last reviewed July 2026 · HospoPilot editorial · General guidance, not legal advice.