Self-reported methods used to judge when a hamburger is ready at-home in a sample of U.S. adults

Consumers in the United States are advised to use a thermometer to cook hamburgers to 160 °F to ensure the food is safe to eat. The present study was aimed at generating current and national information on methods adults used at home to judge when hamburgers are ready and related individual characteristics. Data came from 1688 participants in a nationwide online survey conducted in 2016. This study applied a multivariate logistic regression to explore associations between reporting using temperature to judge when a hamburger is ready and participants' sociodemographic and psychological characteristics. Only 25 percent of the sample reported checking "the temperature of the burger" as a method to judge when a hamburger is ready. Among other methods, "the color of the burger" was most commonly selected (59 percent of the sample). Estimated odds ratios suggest that the temperature method was more likely reported by mid-age participants (30-44 and 45-59 years of age) relative to older participants, those who reported using a thermometer when cooking hamburgers, or those who perceived a higher risk in foods contaminated with germs, but less likely by participants who answered the survey in Spanish. This is the first known research that documents how hamburgers are judged in a large, diverse and national U.S. sample. The information can be used as input for developing and delivering effective consumer education to help reduce the population's risk of getting sick from hamburgers―a food frequently consumed and prepared at home.