Over the past few months, there have been widely publicized product recalls for common grocery items. Hundreds of consumers have become terribly ill after eating contaminated food - some have even died. Recent recalls of some of my favorite foods included fresh spinach, cantaloupe, grilled chicken and peanut butter.

The media does a good job of publicizing the specific details of recalled products so that anyone paying attention to the news will know what to avoid. When Peter Pan peanut butter was recalled, our local newspaper printed the product code on the front page and I was able to quickly identify that yes, I had a jar on my shelf.

However, I was curious how shoppers could seek out information about current product recalls to make sure we haven't missed any news releases. I found some wonderful resources that can help all of us stay informed about product recalls and potential health risks.

Phil Lempert of www.supermarketguru.com has a very comprehensive section on his Web site with more than 30 links to food safety Web sites. I found the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Web site for their Food Safety and Inspection Service to be very user-friendly. It lists current press releases for product recalls related to meat, poultry and egg products. You can easily find detailed risk assessments, the number of consumers reporting illness related to the contaminated product, and specific product codes to help consumers identify whether or not their products are at risk. In fact, I found current product recalls that I hadn't heard about in the media yet, so it is worth checking on a regular basis.

You can find the USDA's Food Safety Web site at www.fsis.usda.gov/Home/index.asp. Look on the right side for a feature called "Ask Karen," which is an automated question-and-answer service. I was able to find very detailed answers instantaneously by simply typing my question in "Karen's" search box. You can also contact the USDA directly via the USDA Meat and Poultry hotline. The hotline answers consumer food safety questions and provides support for food safety educators and communicators. The number is 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854).

The site also provides very helpful information about preventive food safety and food preparation in our homes. I read an article about slow cooker safety since I like to use my crock pot. I was surprised to read that it isn't a good idea to cook whole chickens in the slow cooker. The article said, "Cut food into chunks or small pieces to ensure thorough cooking. Do not use the slow cooker for large pieces like a roast or whole chicken because the food will cook so slowly it could remain in the bacterial 'danger zone,' between 40 F and 140 F, too long." I plan to do some more reading to make sure I'm aware of similar safety standards.

For product recall information about fruit and vegetable products, such as the fresh spinach situation, you can visit the Food and Drug Administration's Web site at www.fda.gov. You can sign up for one of their e-mail newsletters to be alerted when they announce new product recalls. When I visited the site I learned about two product recalls I was not aware of, including a baby food product. It makes sense for parents of young children who are most susceptible to deadly bacteria to check these resources regularly. If you would rather contact them by telephone, you can call the FDA toll-free at (888) 723-3366.

Stephanie Nelson shares her savings tips as a regular contributor on ABC News' "Good Morning America." You can find more of her savings tips in her book "The Greatest Secrets of the Coupon Mom" and on her website at www.couponmom.com. She can be reached at shoppingmom@unitedmedia.com.