Steve Pope > wrote:
> In article >, > wrote:

> >After the first couple of hours of cooking all the pathogens
> >should be good and dead. As long as you don't delay the start
> >long enough for putrifaction to set in . . .

> So, crockpot users, tell me this: with a crockpot, how do you
> know the temperature is high enough to kill, rather than
> cultivate, bacteria? Is there a thermometer, or a reliable
> thermostat? What temperature does a crockpot operate at?

According to the info I found on the net, crock pots run at
about 175 to 200 F. And, most of the ones sold in the US
seem to run hotter. Plenty hot enough to kill any pathogens.
Most have a low and high settting, but that mostly just sets
how fast it reaches the final temperature.

Here is one link: http://www.answers.com/topic/slow-cooker
Wikipedia seems to have the same article, word for word.

Bill Ranck
Blacksburg, Va.