food safety tips

things to remember when buying food:

chicken -- "a color more brown than pink signifies the bacterial and chemical changes wrought by poor refrigeration"

hamburger -- "should be a vibrant cherry red; pass if you see even a touch of gray"

fish -- "the skin — shiny, good; dull, bad ... poke it. It should bounce back rather than staying indented"

eggs -- "flip the lid to examine every egg for cracks"

produce -- "Pass on produce that looks bruised or damaged in any way ... if you're planning to buy fruit that's been precut by your market, make sure it's been kept cold ... always place my hand on the top of wrapped, precut melons on display ... should feel pretty cold"

refrigerator -- "it should be set at 40°F or lower to keep food safe"

to read about cross-contamination and more info, go to http://health.msn.com/dietfitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100157058&GT1=9145