PREVRA Pork Temperature Chart: Safe Temperatures for Every Pork Cut and Product
A clear reference chart showing safe core temperatures for pork roasting joints, chops and steaks, minced pork, sausages, bacon, and gammon. Updated for current UK FSA guidance including changes to pink pork rules.
Why the rules on pink pork changed — and what it means for your kitchen
For decades, UK guidance said pork must be cooked until no pink remains. This was driven by the risk of Trichinella spiralis, a parasitic roundworm once common in British pigs. The UK pig herd has been officially trichinella-free since 1979, and modern indoor farming has all but eliminated the risk. The FSA now accepts that whole muscle pork cuts — loin, fillet, chops — can be safely served slightly pink, provided they reach the correct core temperature.
However, this does not apply to all pork products. Minced pork, sausages, and rolled joints must still reach 75°C core temperature because the mincing and rolling process distributes any surface bacteria throughout the product. Offal must also reach 75°C. The distinction between whole muscle and processed pork is the single most common point of confusion in UK kitchens — and an EHO will test your team on it.
Getting pork temperatures right across your entire menu
For whole muscle pork (loin, fillet, chops, leg, shoulder), probe at the thickest point and confirm a minimum of 63°C core temperature with adequate resting. For minced pork, sausages, rolled joints, and offal, probe to confirm 75°C. Use a calibrated probe thermometer and record the highest-risk item in each batch.
Train your team on the difference between whole muscle and processed pork products. A chef who treats a pork sausage the same as a pork fillet is creating a food safety risk. Digital SFBB can display the correct temperature target for each menu item based on your HACCP plan, so your team always probes against the right standard — not the one they remember from catering college ten years ago.
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