Describe food safe procedures to follow when microwave cooking.

Microwave cooking is convenient, but you need to be sure your food is thoroughly cooked and there are no cold spots in the food where bacteria can thrive. For best results when microwaving, remember to cover food, stir often, rotate for even cooking and allow "standing time" if it is recommended. "Standing time" helps to ensure the temperature inside the product is uniform. If you are microwaving meat or poultry, use a thermometer to check internal temperatures in several spots, since temperatures vary in different parts of food more in microwave cooking than in conventional ovens.