Lean meats are a healthy part of any nutritious diet, but it’s very important to handle them properly to avoid illness. Be sure to follow these important tips for buying and preparing raw meat.

1. Purchase only high-quality meats. When shopping for steak, chicken, fish, or other meats, always look for the Safe Food Handling label on the package. Also, use your own discretion to examine meat before purchasing, and be sure that it’s wrapped tightly and packaged in a bag away from other foods.
2. Store meat safely. Meat must remain at a cold temperature until you’re ready to prepare it, so store it in your refrigerator and put it in the refrigerator’s meat bin if possible. Fresh meats should be used within three to four days, while meats like sausage and ground beef should be used within two days.
3. Keep yourself (and your counters) safe. Always wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling raw meat. It’s also important to only use cutting boards and utensils for meat to avoid cross-contamination.
4. Cook meat completely. Be sure to defrost meat in the refrigerator or the microwave; never let raw meat sit on the countertop to defrost. Once it’s time to cook your meat, use a food thermometer to see that ground meats reach at least 160°F and that beef and pork reach 145°F.

Food Safety: How to Handle Raw Meat [Beef Retail]
Keeping Your Meat Safe [Home Food Safety]
Meat [FoodSafety.gov]
Safe Food Handling: What You Need to Know [FDA]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr AustinMatherne

Cross-contamination in the kitchen occurs when you use the same tools and cutting boards to prepare things like raw meat or eggs that you use to prepare fresh produce or cooked foods, contaminating the food you eat with the bacteria from these raw items. To avoid cross-contamination, follow these safety tips.

1. It starts at the grocery store. Although cross-contamination is usually thought of in the kitchen, it can also happen before you even get your foods home. When shopping at the grocery store, be sure to package raw meats tightly in plastic and put them in a separate bag from other groceries. Also make sure that your carton of eggs doesn’t contain any broken eggs that could leak on other foods.
2. Use separate cutting boards. One of the most important ways to prevent food poisoning from cross-contamination is by using different cutting boards for meat and other items. Properly label each board, and never cut fresh vegetables, fruits, or breads on the cutting board that you use for meat or eggs. Also, clean your meat cutting board thoroughly and replace it often.
3. Cook safely. When cooking, never use the same tools to flip raw chicken that you use to stir-fry vegetables, as this can spread bacteria from the raw meat. Throw away any marinades that meat was once soaking in, and always serve cooked foods on a clean, new plate.

Safe Food Handling: What You Need to Know [FDA]
Separate To Keep Food Safe [Home Food Safety]
Cutting Board Safety [Home Food Safety]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/honorphotobar