Precooked Sausages

Many sausages are cooked immediately after encasement and shaping. This precooking, or primary cooking, is part of the sausage production process and differs from the secondary cooking (actually reheating) that is done by the consumer at the time the sausage is served.

The purpose of precooking sausages is to raise their internal temperature high enough to set the emulsion and to destroy internal bacteria. The sausages must be heated to an internal temperature of 150°F (65°C), or 160°F (71°C) for sausages containing poultry.