Here are features filed under Food Safety:

• Cooking Safely in the Microwave Oven Microwave ovens can play an important role at mealtime, but special care must be taken when cooking or reheating meat, poultry, fish, and eggs to make sure they are prepared safely. Microwave ovens can cook unevenly and leave "cold spots," where harmful bacteria can survive. For this reason, it is important to use the following tips from the US Food Inspection and Safety Commission to prevent food borne illness.

• Do We Need to Wash Our Food? Historically, we equate washing to cleanliness. We wash clothes, linens, cars, dishes and ourselves. So, it is logical that many people believe meat and poultry can be made cleaner and safer by washing it. Is this true? Does washing meat, poultry, eggs, fruits and vegetables make them safer to eat? Find out!

• Focus on Freezing Foods Foods in the freezer -- are they safe? Every year, thousands of callers to the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline aren't sure about the safety of items stored in their own home freezers. The confusion seems to be based on the fact that few people understand how freezing protects food. Here is some information on how to freeze food safely and how long to keep it.

• Focus on Hot Dogs Whether you call it a frankfurter, hot dog, wiener or bologna, it's a cooked sausage and a summertime favorite. They can be made from beef, pork, turkey or chicken -- the label must state which. And there are federal standards of identity for their content.

• Food Preservation All foods eventually spoil if not preserved. The basic idea behind the different forms of food preservation is either to slow down the activity of bacteria, or to kill the bacteria altogether. Here are some tips on ways to safely preserve food.

• Food Product Dates and What They Mean "Sell by Feb. 14" is a type of information you might find on a meat or poultry product. Are dates required on food products? Does it mean the product will be unsafe to use after that date? Here is some background information which answers these and other questions about product dating.

• Food Safety While Hiking, Camping and Boating Outdoor activities are popular with Americans nationwide. Hiking, camping and boating are good activities for active people and families. In many cases, these activities last all day and involve preparing at least one meal. If the food is not handled correctly, foodborne illness can be an unwelcome souvenir.

• Food Safety While Hiking, Camping and Boating Outdoor activities are popular with Americans nationwide. Hiking, camping and boating are good activities for active people and families. In many cases, these activities last all day and involve preparing at least one meal. If the food is not handled correctly, foodborne illness can be an unwelcome souvenir.

• Foodborne Illness Peaks in Summer - Why? Year after year, we hear and read the same advice: Handle food carefully in the summer because foodborne illness -- also known as "food poisoning" -- is more prevalent in warmer weather. Do foodborne illnesses increase during the summer months? If so, why?

• Freezing Meat for Your Family Meals Freezing meat to have on hand is almost a necessity when you have a family. Here's how to do it safely!