It's also important to check inside egg cartons — make sure the eggs, which should be grade A or AA, are clean and free from cracks.

Don't buy:

• fruit with broken skin (bacteria can enter through the opening in the skin and contaminate the fruit)
• unpasteurized ciders or juices (they can contain harmful bacteria)
• prestuffed fresh turkeys or chickens

Refrigerating and Freezing

Before you put the groceries away, check the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer. Your refrigerator should be set for 40? Fahrenheit (5? Celsius), and your freezer should be set to 0? F (–18? C) or lower. These chilly temperatures will help keep any bacteria in your foods from multiplying. If your refrigerator doesn't have a thermostat, it's a good idea to invest in a thermometer for the fridge and freezer.

Of course, refrigerated and frozen items should be put away first. Here are some quick tips to remember for foods that need to be kept cool:

• Keep eggs in the original carton on a shelf in your refrigerator (most refrigerator doors don't keep eggs cold enough).
• Put meat, poultry, and fish in separate plastic bags so that their juices don't get on your other foods.
• Freeze — or cook — raw meat, poultry, or fish within 2 days.
• Store raw ground meats in the freezer for a maximum of 4 months.
• Freeze cooked meats for a maximum 2 to 3 months.
• Remove stuffing from poultry after cooking and store it separately in the refrigerator.

Preparing and Cooking

Follow these handling and cooking guidelines to help prevent food-borne illnesses in your family.

Raw Meat, Poultry, Fish, and Egg Products

• Turn patties over and rotate the dish halfway through cooking.
• Rotate meatloaf dishes halfway through cooking (and let sit for up to 7 minutes after cooking before eating — consult your owner's manual).
• Stir ground meats once or twice.

• Scrub all
• Refrigerate any leftovers as soon as possible after cooking. If left to sit at room temperature, bacteria in the food will multiply quickly.
• Consume leftovers within 3 to 5 days or throw them out.
• Wash cutting boards — which can become a breeding ground for bacteria if they aren't cleaned carefully — separately from other dishes and utensils in hot, soapy water; then disinfect them with a homemade cleaning solution (1 teaspoon of chlorine bleach in 1 quart of water). (Designate one cutting board for raw meat, poultry, and fish.) After washing and disinfecting the cutting board, rinse it thoroughly with plain water to remove any bleach residue and leave it to air dry.
• Don't use old cutting boards with cracks or deep gouges because bacteria may hide in the crevices of the board.
• Wash your hands if they come in contact with raw meat, poultry, or fish.
• Don't use a dish towel to wipe meat juices from your hands — use paper towels instead. Bacteria can contaminate the cloth towels and can then spread to another person's hands. If a dish towel does come in contact with the juices of raw meat, poultry, or fish, launder the towel in hot water as soon as possible.
• After preparing food, wipe your kitchen counters and other exposed surfaces with a commercial kitchen cleaning product or a homemade cleaning solution.
• Because sponges stay wet longer and their porous quality attracts bacteria, experts recommend using a thinner dishrag that can dry between uses instead of a sponge.
• Wash dirty dishrags in hot soapy water.
• Periodically sanitize your kitchen sink, drain, and garbage disposal by pouring in a commercial kitchen cleaning agent or a homemade cleaning solution.

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