Answer :
To determine which food must be cooked to at least 155°F (68°C), we examine the cooking temperature requirements for various types of food to ensure they are safe for consumption:
a. Oysters: Generally, seafood like oysters needs to be cooked to a lower temperature compared to some types of meat. Cooking oysters to 145°F (63°C) is usually sufficient to ensure they are safe.
b. Meatballs: Meat, especially ground meat, needs to be cooked thoroughly to ensure all bacteria are killed. Meatballs, being made from ground meat, must reach an internal temperature of at least 155°F (68°C) to be safely consumed.
c. Elbow pasta: Pasta does not have a required safe cooking temperature to ensure food safety in the same way that meats do. It is typically cooked until it reaches the desired texture, known as al dente, but this is more about preference and doesn’t involve specific temperature requirements for safety.
So, the food that must be cooked to at least 155°F (68°C) is:
b. Meatballs
a. Oysters: Generally, seafood like oysters needs to be cooked to a lower temperature compared to some types of meat. Cooking oysters to 145°F (63°C) is usually sufficient to ensure they are safe.
b. Meatballs: Meat, especially ground meat, needs to be cooked thoroughly to ensure all bacteria are killed. Meatballs, being made from ground meat, must reach an internal temperature of at least 155°F (68°C) to be safely consumed.
c. Elbow pasta: Pasta does not have a required safe cooking temperature to ensure food safety in the same way that meats do. It is typically cooked until it reaches the desired texture, known as al dente, but this is more about preference and doesn’t involve specific temperature requirements for safety.
So, the food that must be cooked to at least 155°F (68°C) is:
b. Meatballs