How long should food be cooked at its minimum cooking temperature to ensure safety?

Cooking food to its minimum cooking temperature is essential for ensuring that harmful pathogens are destroyed and that the food is safe to eat. The correct answer indicates that cooking food for at least 15 seconds at the minimum required temperature is sufficient to effectively kill most foodborne pathogens and reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

This time frame is based on scientific research that has determined the effective duration needed at specific temperatures to achieve a safe internal temperature. For example, cooking poultry to 165°F (74°C) for just 15 seconds ensures that any potentially harmful bacteria are eliminated. This method emphasizes the importance of both temperature and time in food safety practices.

The other options present longer cooking times which exceed the necessary duration needed when cooking at the correct temperature, thus making them unnecessary for achieving food safety. Understanding both temperature and time is crucial in food handling to maintain the highest safety standards.