Two types of Bacteria can cause problems for meat products, these are

Food spoilage bacteria - these make the meat spoil & go off.
Pathogenic bacteria - these could cause illness through food poisoning.
 
Food poisoning only occurs when certain events occur in a sequence.
 
If you can break this chain of events by good practice, you will go a long way to avoiding the risk of food poisoning.

A little thought and planning will avoid any meat you buy being contaminated by bacteria & will prevent them multiplying to dangerous levels.

Shopping
Try to make your meat shopping the last of your errands before you head homewards - keep your meat as cool as possible on the homeward journey & put it in the fridge as soon as you get home!
See our SAFE STORAGE & PREPARING MEAT SAFELY hints for how to handle your meat at home.

Safe storage of meat 
Once you have purchased your meat & other fresh foods, be sure to take them straight home and place them in the 'fridge or freezer immediately as inadequate temperature control is the most common cause of food poisoning. See MEAT SAFETY .
If your meat is packed in a modified atmosphere pack, don't open it or pierce the pack until you need it, as the pack will keep the meat in good condition until the indicated use by date.
Sometimes when slices of meat are placed on top of one another in a pack, you may notice some brown discolouration - this will soon disappear when it is exposed to the air & does not affect the quality of the meat.
If your raw meat is not in a sealed pack, keep it covered & ensure it doesn't come into contact with other foods. Store raw meat below all other items in your fridge to ensure nothing drips onto other foodstuffs.
Your fridge should always be kept below 5°C - why not buy a fridge thermometer to check the temperature is maintained at this level.

If you choose to freeze any fresh meat, freeze it on the day you buy it & refer to your freezer manufacturer's handbook for how long to keep it - probably up to 3 months to enjoy it at it's best.
Ensure you defrost your meat thoroughly under controlled conditions, such as in a fridge, before cooking it. This will take a little longer to do, but is much safer.

If you have some meat leftover from your meal & you want to store it in the fridge, never put it into the fridge when hot. This will raise the whole fridge temperature & may affect the things that you are storing in there. Leave the meat to cool for an hour (maximum 1 ½ hours), then wrap it & place in the fridge.