A thermometer with a pointed probe used to measure the core temperature of food to check it is safely hot or cold.
A thermometer with a pointed probe used to measure the core temperature of food to check it is safely hot or cold. A probe thermometer is a hand-held thermometer with a thin metal probe that is inserted into food to measure its temperature. It is the main tool food businesses use to check the core temperature of potentially hazardous food, so they can confirm it is being cooked, cooled, reheated and held at safe temperatures. Because most food-poisoning bacteria do not change how food looks or smells, an accurate temperature reading is the reliable way to judge safety. The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code requires food businesses that handle potentially hazardous food to have a temperature measuring device that is accurate to plus or minus 1 degree C and readily accessible. A probe thermometer is the standard way to meet this requirement. It lets staff take a direct reading from the centre of the food rather than estimating from an appliance setting or the surrounding air temperature. In an Australian kitchen the probe thermometer is used throughout the day: checking incoming deliveries at goods receipt, confirming cooking and reheating reach the right temperature, verifying cooling times, and monitoring hot and cold holding. The probe is inserted into the thickest part or centre of the food and left until the reading settles. It should not touch bone, trays or container bases, which give false readings. To stay reliable the probe must be cleaned and sanitised between different foods, especially between raw and ready-to-eat food, to prevent cross-contamination. It also needs regular calibration so its readings can be trusted. Many businesses keep a log of temperature checks taken with the probe as part of monitoring in their food safety program. At goods receipt, a receiver uses a probe thermometer to check a delivery of chilled chicken. They sanitise the probe, insert it between two packs to read the product temperature, wait for it to settle at 3 degrees C, record the reading, then clean and sanitise the probe before using it on the next delivery.
Frequently asked questions
What is a probe thermometer used for?
It measures the core temperature of food so staff can confirm it is being cooked, cooled, reheated and held at safe temperatures.
How accurate does a food thermometer need to be?
Businesses handling potentially hazardous food need a temperature measuring device accurate to plus or minus 1 degree C that is readily accessible.
Where do I insert the probe?
Into the thickest part or centre of the food, avoiding bone, trays and container bases, and wait until the reading stabilises.
Do I need to clean the probe between foods?
Yes. Clean and sanitise the probe between different foods, especially between raw and ready-to-eat items, to prevent cross-contamination.
How do I keep a probe thermometer accurate?
Calibrate it regularly using the ice-point or boiling-point method and check it against the plus or minus 1 degree C requirement, cleaning it after each use.
