Not only is keeping your kitchen clean an absolute must for maintaining an organized environment, it's also critical for maintaining your health. If the kitchen is not kept clean, bacteria and mold can grow on the surfaces and get into your food, which could result in serious illness. Whether you're storing perishable foods, cooking, or cleaning, there are all kinds of safety measures you should take within your kitchen.

The Partnership for Food Safety Education sponsors the Fight Bac! Web site (www.fightbac.org), which offers an abundance of information about keeping your food safe from dangerous bacteria. It recommends taking these four primary precautions:

Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often

Separate: Don't cross-contaminate!

Cook: Cook to proper temperature

Chill: Refrigerate promptly

Avoid Cross-Contamination

When working in the kitchen, wash your hands, utensils, and kitchen surfaces often. After a knife or plate touches raw meat, wash it immediately. Wash your hands, using warm and soapy water, before and after you handle raw foods. Wash your cutting board, dishes, utensils, and countertops after each use (especially after preparing raw meat, poultry, or fish). Use separate cutting boards for raw meats and vegetables.

Store meats, poultry, and fish away from other foods. Wrap or package each separately. Ask your local butcher for information on how to properly store specific types of meat, fish, and poultry for short (one to three days) or long periods of time.