Utah Food Safety Practice Test

How deep must the stem of a thermocouple thermometer be inserted into food to get an accurate temperature?

1. 1/4 inch

2. 1/2 inch

3. 1 inch

4. 1/8 inch

The correct answer is: 1/8 inch

For accurate temperature readings with a thermocouple thermometer, the stem should be inserted into the food at a depth of at least 2 to 2.5 inches. However, for best practices in accuracy and to ensure the probe gets a good reading, inserting it to a depth of 1 inch is essential. This depth allows the sensor within the thermometer to adequately measure the core temperature of the food, which is crucial for food safety, particularly when cooking meats or checking the temperature of soups and sauces. While the provided answer indicates a depth of 1/8 inch, this is not sufficient for thermocouple thermometers, as it does not allow the thermometer to accurately measure the internal temperature of food items. Inserting the probe too shallow can result in significant temperature inaccuracies, potentially leading to unsafe food handling practices.