They seem so simple, but people still forget food safety’s basic steps.

Wash your hands. Clean utensils and counter tops. Cook food to recommended temperatures. Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot, if not refrigerated.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which began an intensive surveillance program to diagnose cases of many foodborne illnesses in 1996, estimates that 76 million persons contract foodborne illness each year in the United States. The CDC notes that foodborne disease causes approximately 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths annually.

The CDC also reports that more than 200 known diseases are transmitted through food.

Consumers generally are more mindful of food safety in their own kitchen, but during summer, they may bend the rules when preparing food on the barbecue grill or campfire.

Just in time for summer, this news package reviews food safety’s basic rules, looks at new trends in food, and more.

For more information on this package, or to receive e-mail copies, please contact Donise Osbourn at dosbourn@oznet.ksu.edu, or 785-532-5806.

1) Summer Food Safety: Outdoor Grilling

2) Summer Food Safety: Take Extra Care With Home-made Ice Cream

3) Summer Food Safety: Tap Water Best for Cleaning Produce

4) Summer Food Safety: Industry Moves Toward Functional Foods

5) Food Safety 101: Simple Steps to Guard Against Foodborne Illness

6) Irradiation is Promise for Maintaining Safe Food Supply

7) New Food Technologies Help Address Consumers' Needs

8) Elderly Among Those Most Susceptible to Foodborne Illness

We hope these stories will be useful to you.