Liver and other offal such as heart, sweetbread, kidney, tripe and tongue must be cooked properly before eating to avoid food poisoning.
Liver may carry harmful bacteria. Improper cooking significantly increases the risk of gastroenteritis caused by a Campylobacter infection.
Cooking recommendations
Cooking the outside of the meat while leaving the inside pink is not enough to destroy all the bacteria. Use a thermometer to make sure that the recommended cooking temperature has been reached.
This measure also applies when preparing processed liver-based products like mousse and pâté.
| Animal type | Internal temperature |
|---|---|
| Beef, veal, lamb | 63 ºC |
| Pork | 71 ºC |
| Poultry (chicken, duck, other) | 74 ºC |
| Farmed game meats (deer, rabbit, wild boar, other) | 74 ºC |
Eating liver from big wild game is not recommended.
These internal temperatures are appropriate for liver and all other offal such as kidney, sweetbread and heart.
Cross-contamination
The surface of the liver can be home to a high concentration of harmful bacteria, which can increase the risk of cross-contamination.
During the evisceration process, naturally occurring bacteria in the animal’s digestive system can contaminate the surface of the organs. Many studies have shown that offal has a high concentration of bacteria. Liver is a very porous organ, and even the smallest cut may allow bacteria to penetrate the meat.
Contamination rates
Harmful bacteria have been detected in samples of pork, beef, veal and chicken liver through monitoring work 
(French only). These samples were collected from various slaughterhouses and businesses.
Campylobacter bacteria were detected in 26.4% of samples from all species combined. Chicken and veal liver had the highest levels of contamination.
Salmonella bacteria appeared more frequently in chicken liver (22.1% of samples) and pork liver (19.1% of samples). Salmonella was not found in beef liver, but it appeared in 3.1% of veal liver samples.
Precautions to take
It is important to properly cook liver and other offal.
Keep raw food separate from cooked food.
Clean all dishes and utensils that were used.
Eating veal liver
Liver can be very nutritious. However, it can lead to food poisoning if it is not cooked properly.
There is a proven link between eating undercooked veal liver and Campylobacter infection.
Those who eat veal liver are 9.5 times more likely to develop a Campylobacter infection than those who do not.
Among the participants of a study (French only) of people who contracted campylobacteriosis, 37% had eaten veal liver. Of those participants, 70% had eaten undercooked liver and 70% had eaten liver at home.
Last update: March 26, 2024
