From the farm to the store, meat and poultry products must be chilled -- and kept chilled, packaged and handled properly so it will be safe for consumers to buy. Several government agencies have the responsibility to assure the food's safety. In the home, food caretakers must do their part to store, handle and cook meat and poultry right so it's safe to eat.

The color pink in cooked turkey meat raises a "red flag" to many diners and cooks. Conditioned to be wary of pink in fresh pork, they question the safety of cooked poultry and other meats that have a rosy blush.

The FDA notes that shellfish, especially mollusks, are more likely to cause foodborne illness than fish because shellfish pump water through their bodies.

These tips can help you reduce your risk of becoming ill from the food you eat at home and in restaurants.

Irradiation is slowly gaining consumer acceptance as a way to make foods safer. Foods are bathed with low levels of radiation, which kills such deadly bacteria as E. coli, campylobacter and salmonella.

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious and sometimes serious liver disease. The hepatitis A virus is transmitted by eating food or drinking water contaminated with infected feces.

At certain times of the year, various species of fish and shellfish contain toxins, even if well cooked. The most common type of fish poisoning in travelers is ciguatera fish poisoning.

This particular strain of E. coli causes a severe intestinal infection. You can get this infection by eating contaminated meat or by drinking unpasteurized juice or milk that has been contaminated.

BSE is a cattle disease, and vCJD is the equivalent disease in humans. Both are fatal brain diseases. Researchers believe that people become infected by eating beef contaminated with BSE.

Salmonella bacteria are usually transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated with animal feces. Beef, poultry, milk, and eggs are common sources.