Don't buy foods past "sell-by" or expiration dates.

Put raw meat and poultry into a plastic bag so meat juices won't cross-contaminate cooked foods or those eaten raw, such as vegetable or fruit.

Place refrigerated or frozen items in the shopping cart last, right before heading for the checkout counter.

When loading the car, keep perishable items inside the air-conditioned car -- not in the trunk.

Drive immediately home from the grocery. If you live farther away than 30 minutes, bring a cooler with ice from home; place perishables in it.

Unload perishable foods from the car first and immediately refrigerate them. Place securely wrapped packages of raw meat, poultry, or fish in the meat drawer or coldest section of your refrigerator.

Check the temperature of your unit with an appliance thermometer. To slow bacterial growth, the refrigerator should be at 40 degrees fahrenheit; the freezer, zero degrees fahrenheit.

Cook or freeze fresh poultry, fish, ground meats, and variety meats within 2 days; other beef, veal, lamb, or pork, within 3 to 5 days.

Wash hands before and after handling raw meat and poultry.

Sanitize cutting boards often in a solution of 1 teaspoon chlorine bleach in 1 quart of water. Wash kitchen towels and cloths often in hot water in washing machine.

Don't cross-contaminate. Keep raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices away from other food. After cutting raw meats, wash hands, cutting board, knife, and counter tops with hot, soapy water.

Marinate meat and poultry in a covered dish in the refrigerator.

Cold Water: For faster thawing, place food in a leak-proof plastic bag and submerge in cold tap water.

Microwave: Cook meat and poultry immediately after microwave thawing.

Cook ground meats to 160 degrees fahrenheit; ground poultry to 165 degrees fahrenheit. Beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts, and chops may be cooked to 145 degrees fahrenheit; all cuts of fresh pork, 160 degrees fahrenheit. Whole poultry should reach 180 degrees fahrenheit in the thigh; breasts, 170 degrees fahrenheit.

Bacteria that cause foodborne illness grow rapidly at room temperature. Keep hot food hot! Cold food cold!

When serving food at a buffet, keep hot food over a heat source and keep cold food on ice. Keep platters of food refrigerated until time to serve or heat them.

Carry perishables, picnic food in a cooler with a cold pack or ice. Set the cooler in the shade and open the lid as little as possible.

Divide foods into shallow containers for rapid cooling. Put food directly in the refrigerator or freezer.

Cut turkey off the bone and refrigerate. Slice breast meat; legs and wings may be left whole.

Use cooked leftovers within 4 days.

Meat and poultry defrosted in the refrigerator may be refrozen before or after cooking. If thawed by other methods, cook before refreezing.

Source: Food Safety and Inspection Service, Food Safety & Consumer Education Office, September 1997