To ensure proper handling, storage and preparation of fresh sausage, follow these tips from the American Dietetic Association and the ConAgra Foods Foundation:

Buying

• Always look for the "safe food handling" label on packages
• The label indicates that the sausage has been processed safely and will give you tips for proper food-handling and cooking
• Make sure the sausage is tightly wrapped
• Select sausage and other meats after shopping for non-perishables and ask to have them bagged separately from other groceries

• Always handle sausage with clean, dry hands
• Store sausage in the coldest part of the refrigerator or in the refrigerator’s meat bin
• Use fresh sausage stored in the refrigerator within 2 days of purchase
• Freeze sausage in freezer-safe wrap at or below 0° F
• Eat or freeze cooked sausage within 3 to 4 days

• Wash hands thoroughly for 20 seconds before, during and after handling raw meat
• Use two separate cutting boards to avoid cross-contamination, one for raw foods and the other for ready-to-eat foods
• Defrost sausage in the refrigerator or in the microwave---never on the counter---by using the defrost setting
• Immediately cook meat after it has been thawed in the microwave
• Do not re-freeze thawed meat
• Use a meat thermometer to cook to proper temperature
• Cook sausage to 160° F
• Cooked sausage should not be left unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours