Prepare foods quickly, cook them thoroughly and serve them immediately. Don't let potentially unsafe foods linger at temperatures where bacteria can grow. Keep certain foods, like meats and their juices, separated from others during storage and preparation. Keep a separate cutting board for meat. Keep foods covered.
Ensure dishes are clean as well.
Refrigerate leftovers immediately. Very hot items can be cooled at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes prior to being refrigerated. Frequent stirring accelerates the cooling at this stage. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers in covered, shallow containers. Food will cool faster in shallow containers.