I have said on this site that one of the factors in food poisoning is not only bacterial growth in food, but the toxins that bacteria can produce as they grow. While thorough cooking will destroy the bacteria as long as there are not overwhelming quantities present, heat will not destroy the toxins.
The best way to avoid bacterial growth and the subsequent toxins is to follow proper handling instructions: keep meat cold, wash your hands and any surface that comes in contact with raw meat, never place cooked meat on a platter that held raw meat, and cook food to safe internal temperatures.
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Read through these bulletins to get more information.Storing Meat in Your Refrigerator
Background
Bacteria are present on everything. It's impossible to completely avoid bacteria. Some bacteria are helpful to us and other varieties are very harmful. It's the harmful bacteria that we want to minimize in the food we eat.Bacteria grow best at temperatures between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F. They multiply very rapidly at those temperatures in ideal strata - that is, perishable foods like meat and dairy products. That's why it's so important to keep perishable foods refrigerated at temperatures below 40 degrees F.
At refrigerator temperatures, that is, 32 degrees F to 40 degrees F, bacteria can still grow, but that growth is slowed dramatically. That's why you must use raw perishable food within a certain time frame, usually 2-3 days, even when it is properly refrigerated.
As bacteria grow, they can produce toxins that are not disabled, or rendered harmless, by heat. C. botulinum is the most notorious of these bacteria; the toxin is almost inevitably fatal. But since that bacteria grows in an anaerobic (oxygen-poor) environment, it is most associated with canned foods or foods stored in oil.
Other bacteria, like Staphylococcus aureus, produces a heat-stable toxin that is of concern. Salmonella creates illness not through toxins, but the bacteria itself.
These toxins are not produced immediately by the bacteria, but can take hours or even days to develop. Properly handling and storing meats and dairy products will minimize the risk of these toxins.
