PREVRA Poultry Pasteurisation Chart: Time-Temperature Combinations for Poultry Safety
A technical chart showing validated time-temperature combinations for achieving 6.5-log and 7-log reductions in Salmonella and Campylobacter in chicken, turkey, and duck. Essential for sous vide poultry and low-temperature roasting.
Why Campylobacter — not Salmonella — is the biggest poultry risk in the UK
Campylobacter causes more food poisoning in the UK than any other pathogen — an estimated 280,000 cases annually, with poultry the source in approximately four out of five cases. It has a low infectious dose (as few as 500 organisms can cause illness) and is present on approximately 50 per cent of retail chicken sold in the UK. Salmonella, by contrast, is present on under 5 per cent of UK chicken and causes fewer than 10,000 reported cases annually.
Both pathogens are destroyed by proper cooking, but the pasteurisation curves differ. Campylobacter is slightly more heat-sensitive than Salmonella, so a time-temperature combination that achieves Salmonella reduction will also eliminate Campylobacter. The standard 75°C instant-kill target covers both. But for sous vide and low-temperature cooking, you need to know the specific holding times at each temperature — and this is where most kitchens get it wrong.
Validating poultry cooking processes for EHO confidence and customer safety
For traditional cooking, probe the thickest part of the breast and the innermost thigh — both must reach 75°C. For sous vide, select your target temperature on this chart, note the minimum holding time required for a 6.5-log reduction, and validate that your water bath maintains that temperature at the core of the product for the full duration. Log temperature, time, and batch details for every cook.
If you sous vide poultry, your HACCP plan must specifically address it as a high-risk process. The hazard is not just undercooking — it is also the anaerobic environment inside the vacuum bag, which can favour Clostridium botulinum if temperature control fails. Digital SFBB can manage your sous vide HACCP documentation, log cooking parameters, and produce the validation records your EHO will need to see.
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