FDA unveils pandemic preparedness plan

[LMonty]

Their study, described in the March issue of the Journal of Food Protection, showed that cooking the meat at the recommended 165?F killed the virus with a large margin of safety. The USDA made the 165?F recommendation in April 2006, on the basis of advice from its National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods. Some previous federal recommendations called for slightly higher temperatures.

I would really like to see this clarified. the way it reads,

cooking the meat at the recommended 165?F

is IMHO potentially confusing.

My understanding before reading this is that the meat itself must reach 165 degrees, as shown on a meat thermometer.

But the way its stated appears to say that the meat should be cooked at 165- for example, setting the oven temp to that. I think thats wrong. I think it should say the meat should be cooked to a temp of 165.

Anybody else notice this? I'm not trying to be picky- the reason I'm mentioning it is that if there is a scare with infected commercial poultry, there may be people that take this quite literally, use an cooking temp of 165, and end up with problem. I've seen people do things like that way too many times when following doctors suggestions! They take things so literally that if a normally understood step or something logical isnt stated or explained right- well, the outcome can be bad.... Whats everyone elses take on it?