Always wash hands thoroughly in hot soapy water before preparing foods and after handling raw meat. Don't put cooked foods on the same plate that held raw meat or poultry. Wash utensils that have touched raw meat with hot, soapy water before using them for cooked meats. Wash counters, cutting boards and other surfaces raw meats have touched. And don't forget to keep the inside of your refrigerator clean.
Cooking kills harmful bacteria.
Be sure ground meat and ground poultry are cooked thoroughly. Cook it safely The center of patties and meat loaf should not be pink and the juices should run clear. Crumbled ground meats should be cooked until no pink color remains. If microwaving, cover meats. Midway through cooking, turn patties over and rotate the dish, rotate a meat loaf, and stir ground meats once or twice.