PREVRA Chicken Pasteurization Chart: The Time-Temperature Combinations That Kill Pathogens
A technical reference showing that safety is a function of both time AND temperature — not just hitting 74°C. Essential for sous vide, low-temperature cooking, and HACCP plan validation in UK kitchens.
Why pasteurization is about time AND temperature — not just hitting a magic number
Most UK kitchen staff are trained to cook chicken to 74°C. That works — at 74°C, salmonella and campylobacter are killed instantly. But pasteurization can also be achieved at lower temperatures held for longer: 60°C for 35 minutes, 65°C for 90 seconds, 70°C for 30 seconds. Understanding this opens up better quality cooking while remaining food-safe.
This matters particularly for sous vide and low-temperature roasting, where chicken cooked to 74°C would be dry and unpleasant. The FSA recognises equivalent time-temperature treatments under HACCP — but you must document your rationale and validate with probe records.
The pathogen most people worry about is salmonella, but campylobacter is actually the leading cause of food poisoning from poultry in the UK, causing an estimated 280,000 cases annually. Both are addressed by the time-temperature combinations on this chart.
Using the pasteurization chart in your HACCP cooking validation
Select your target cooking temperature based on the quality outcome you want, then hold at that temperature for at least the minimum time shown on the chart. Use a calibrated probe thermometer to verify core temperature, and log both the temperature reached and the hold time.
For sous vide cooking, this chart is essential — you must validate that your water bath is accurate and that the food reaches equilibrium temperature. Probe the thickest part of the largest portion. Record the water bath temperature, the core temperature, and the hold time for every batch.
If an EHO questions your low-temperature chicken cooking, this chart — printed, posted, and referenced in your HACCP plan — demonstrates that your process is science-based. Digital SFBB users can build pasteurization time-temperature logs into their cooking records with automatic compliance checks. See also our Chicken Temperature Chart.
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