Why You Shouldn't Always Follow The Cooking Instructions On Food Boxes To The Letter

For some of us, cooking is as easy as following a recipe. All you need is a set of instructions, and you're ready to make gourmet-quality meals. Simple, right? Well, it doesn't always work out that way. Even with clearly written directions, sometimes a dish seems undercooked. This isn't always your fault, either. When it comes to package directions, the instructions aren't always going to make a tasty meal. Cooking directions on a label are validated by the manufacturer to bring the product to pasteurization temperatures. That typically means 158 degrees Fahrenheit for two minutes, or an equivalent. The food will be safe to consume, but you may not like it.

There are strict guidelines that food manufacturers are supposed to follow when listing ingredients and nutritional information on packaging. Many manufacturers now even point out if a product is high in nutrients such as sodium or sugar, which helps you better understand what you're consuming, which is why it's good practice to read food labels.

The directions for cooking are less strict but are expected by the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the FDA to provide guidance that ensures packaged food is prepared safely. That means how to cook it until any pathogens are destroyed and how to safely store it afterwards. So when a frozen pizza has a suggested cooking time, that's how long it should take to kill any bacteria and render the pizza safe to eat. It won't necessarily make it as tasty as possible, though.

If you have ever followed the instructions on a package exactly and found that the food you were making wasn't cooked to your liking, there's a good chance it wasn't your fault. It's not that you read the instructions wrong or missed a step. It's just that they were never designed to ensure the most delicious product. It's not too dissimilar from cooking blogs listing times that never seem to work. Posters on Reddit have discussed how instructions for foods like frozen french fries may call for 12 minutes, but it often takes at least 20 minutes for them to get crispy. Plenty of replies are from people agreeing that they always have to cook food longer than the package requires.

From the USDA's point of view, those directions are vital to ensure food safety. This is the bare minimum cook time to reach safe temperatures for consumption under normal conditions. It doesn't account for the many variables that can affect the time needed to achieve the best quality. For instance, cooking times may be longer at higher altitudes, so that needs to be considered. Likewise, oven or microwave power has an effect on cooking time. A lower wattage microwave or an older oven may not cook as optimally as possible, and longer cooking will be required.

Package instructions are best viewed as a bare minimum guideline. Check whatever you're cooking for doneness after that time, but if it's not as cooked as you like, don't worry. Cooking longer is entirely normal and even desirable if you want the best possible outcome.