Homemade Sausage Making

With the USDA now saying pork can be consumed safely when cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit .... can /should we adjust some of our finishing temperatures of sausage?

Or is the reason many sausages shoot for a desired temperature is to kill/avoid a specific bacteria. All of the sausage making books I have do not reflect the new guidelines.

I know cooking a tenderloin to 160 will almost always result in dry over cooked pork. Chefs for years have known that they can safely eat pork at 140-150. I also realize that when smoking we are more concerned with avoiding food poisoning. I was curious if this was the same for sausage as I am quite ignorant to the specifics of sausage making.

Thanks in advance for any insight!

Intact muscle meat is quite sterile but ground meat can be contaminated by just a small piece of dirty meat and innoculate the entire batch.
If these are new guidelines then of course old books would not reflect the change.

This comes from the D.C. Municipal Regulations but these regulations have to conform to government requirements as a minimum.

900 COOKING RAW ANIMAL FOODS*

DCMR 25-900.1

Except as specified in sections 900.2, 900.3 and 900.4, raw animal foods such as eggs, fish, meat, poultry, and foods containing these raw animal foods, shall be cooked to heat all parts of the food to a temperature and for a time that complies with one of the following methods based on the food that is being cooked:

(a) 63°C (145°F) or above for fifteen (15) seconds for:

(1) Raw shell eggs that are broken and prepared in response to a consumer`s order and for immediate service; and

(2) Fish, meat, and pork including game animals commercially raised for food as specified in section 706.1(a) and game animals under a voluntary inspection program as specified in section 706.1(b); except as specified in sections 900.1(b) and 900.1(c), and section 900.2;

(b) 68°C (155°F) for fifteen (15) seconds or the temperature specified in the following chart that corresponds to the holding time for ratites, and injected meats; the following if they are comminuted: fish, meat, game animals commercially raised for food as specified in section 706.1(a), and game animals under a voluntary inspection program as specified in section 706.1(b); and raw eggs that are not prepared as specified in section

As Ross mentioned. Since the meat is comminuted/ground, the increased amounts of surface area allow bacteria to grow more rampantly. That is why the advocate the higher finishing temperature.

I hope that helps give you some peace of mind

Thanks for the insight!

I am enjoying browsing this forum. It is one thing to read books on sausage making but another to put that information to use. I am new to the world of sausage making and it is wonderful to find a nice mix of experienced and novice members with the same passion.

Cheers!