Final answer:
To prepare food safely, you should cook it to the appropriate internal temperature to kill bacteria, practice regular handwashing, and adhere to good food storage practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
To ensure food is prepared safely, one must follow specific guidelines. These include using a thermometer to make sure food reaches a high enough temperature to kill any bacteria it contains, which should be at least 74 degrees C (165 degrees F). Maintaining good food safety practices is essential to preventing foodborne disease. Such practices involve regular handwashing, rotation of pantry items to use older products first, and proper refrigeration. It's also important to rinse fresh produce and be mindful of the storage life of perishable foods. When cooking, ensure that meat, for example, reaches the safe internal temperature recommended for killing harmful bacteria.