Meat safety - food matters - Brief Article

To keep you and your family safe and healthy, here are some tips on handing meat carefully to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria like E. coli and salmonella.

* Make sure meat is cold when it's purchased, and place the unopened package of meat in a plastic bag to prevent juices from dripping onto other foods.

* Keep raw meat away from cooked food and produce, and thoroughly wash all utensils and cutting boards used in meat preparation.

* Store uncooked meat at temperatures of 38 [degrees]F or less, and keep frozen meat in the coldest portion of the freezer -- all the way to the back.

* Defrost meat in the refrigerator, never at room temperature.

* Cook meat to an internal temperate of at least 180 [degrees]F. to destroy harmful bacteria -- rare rare isn't a safe option.

* Refrigerate leftover cooked meat immediately to prevent bacterial contamination and separate large portions into smaller portions. Use cooked meat stored in the refrigerator within three days, and reheat it by covering and heating to 165 [degrees]F, or until hot and steaming throughout.

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