Thermal treatments are critical in controlling foodborne pathogens in ready-to-eat meat and poultry products. The USDA, FSIS document, “Compliance Guidelines for Meeting Lethality Performance Standards for Certain Meat and Poultry Products” (Appendix A), has been used extensively by the meat industry and universally accepted by regulatory agencies as a safe harbor to provide lethality of harmful, pathogenic bacteria in RTE meat and poultry products.