Replace sponges every few weeks. Keep raw meat, poultry and fish and their juices away from other food. For instance, wash your hands, curing board and knife in hot soapy water after cuffing up the chicken and before dicing salad ingredients. Use plastic cutting boards rather than wooden ones where bacteria can hide in grooves. Thaw food in the microwave or refrigerator, NOT on the kitchen counter.
Bacteria can grow in the outer layers of the food before the inside thaws.
Marinate in the refrigerator too. Plus, hamburger that is red in the middle, rare and medium-rare steak and roast beef are also undercooked from the safety standpoint. Cook red meat to 160 F. Cook poultry to 180 F. Use a meat thermometer to check that it's cooked all the way through. To check visually, red meat is done when its brown or grey inside. Poultry juices run clear.