What is the minimum internal cooking temperature for poultry, including whole birds and leftovers, in Celsius for 15 seconds?

• A. 70°C for 15 seconds
• B. 68°C for 15 seconds
• C. 74°C for 15 seconds
• D. 60°C for 15 seconds

Answer: (C)

Poultry carries higher risk of foodborne pathogens, so it must be cooked to a higher internal temperature to ensure safe destruction of bacteria. Reaching 74°C and holding it for at least 15 seconds guarantees that Salmonella and Campylobacter in both whole birds and leftovers are killed. Lower temperatures like 70°C, 68°C, or 60°C don’t reliably achieve the same level of safety, even with a 15-second hold, so they aren’t acceptable minimums for poultry. Therefore, the minimum safe internal cooking temperature for poultry, including leftovers, is 74°C for 15 seconds.