No new cases of salmonella have been reported in Humboldt County since June 23, but food safety is still a major concern as warm weather and outdoor barbecues fill the Fourth of July weekend.

Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Leslie Lollich said the past week has generated no new information on the local salmonella cluster, leaving at 13 the number of confirmed cases reporting an onset of symptoms between May 22 and June 23.

Mary McKenzie, a public health nurse and communicable disease specialist, said there was a “strong indication” the each of the 13 cases consumed a raw fruit or vegetable, but McKenzie said that wasn’t much to go on and wasn’t uncommon.

Raw fruits and vegetables are crucial to a healthy diet. But they’re also the culprits in a growing list of nasty outbreaks: E. coli in spinach and lettuce. Hepatitis A in green onions. Cyclospora in raspberries. Shigella in parsley, Salmonella in cantaloupe and most recently, tomatoes.

The local cluster was not related to tomatoes, which have been linked to the salmonella Saintpaul outbreak that infected 869 people in 36 states and the District of Columbia since April.

The cause of the local cluster is unknown, which is good news for the tomato industry. Since 1990, 14 salmonella outbreaks have been blamed on tomatoes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates foodborne illnesses cause 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.

Food poisoning comes from eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated beverages. The culprits are many. Bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins and chemicals can all cause foodborne illness by contaminating food during growing, harvesting, processing, storing, shipping or preparation.

Water sources, hygiene, and wildlife or domestic animals near fields are often to blame because they involve points where safety systems can easily break down. McKenzie said that while people couldn’t stop a bird or frog from going through a field, they can do something as simple as clean produce in running water rather than soaking it where the contaminated run-off stays in contact with the fruit or vegetable.

“If there had been some indication, some hint, that (the salmonella source) was a location or a product, we would have said this is a concern and issued a press release,” McKenzie said last week. “Otherwise, all we can do is emphasize prevention, prevention, prevention.”

The Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition reminded consumers to clean, separate, cook and chill, with details in the sidebar.

Personal responsibility is even more important in light of FDA budget woes. Its inspections of food-producing facilities plummeted by 56 percent between 2003 and last year.

Associated Press also contributed to this story.

Simple precautions to reduce the risk of foodborne diseases

CLEAN
Bacteria can be spread throughout the kitchen and get onto hands, cutting boards, utensils, counter tops and food.

+ Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers and handling pets.

+ Wash your cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and counter tops with hot soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next food.

+ Consider using paper towels to clean up kitchen surfaces. If you use cloth towels wash them often in the hot cycle of your washing machine.

+ Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water, including those with skins and rinds that are not eaten.

+ Rub firm-skin fruits and vegetables under running tap water or scrub with a clean vegetable brush while rinsing with running tap water.

SEPARATE
Cross-contamination is how bacteria can be spread. When handling raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs, keep these foods and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods. Always start with a clean scene, from hands to container.

+ Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs from other foods in your grocery shopping cart, grocery bags and in your refrigerator.

+ Use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry and seafood.

+ Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs.

COOK
Food is safely cooked when it reaches a high enough internal temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness.

+ Use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of cooked foods.

+ Cook roasts and steaks to a minimum of 145°F.

+ All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.

+ Cook ground meat, where bacteria can spread during grinding, to at least 160°F. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention links eating undercooked ground beef with a higher risk of illness. Remember, color is not a reliable indicator for being done.

+ Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm, not runny. Don’t use recipes in which eggs remain raw or only partially cooked.

+ Cook fish to 145°F or until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork.

+ Make sure there are no cold spots in food when cooking in a microwave oven. For best results, cover food, stir and rotate for even cooking. If there is no turntable, rotate the dish by hand once or twice during cooking.

+ Bring sauces, soups and gravy to a boil when reheating. Heat other leftovers thoroughly to 165°F.

CHILL
Refrigerate foods quickly because cold temperatures slow the growth of harmful bacteria. Do not over-stuff the refrigerator. Cold air must circulate to help keep food safe. Keeping a constant refrigerator temperature of 40°F or below is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Use an appliance thermometer to be sure the temperature is consistently 40°F or below. The freezer temperature should be 0°F or below.

+ Refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs and other perishables as soon as you get them home from the store.

+ Never let raw meat, poultry, eggs, cooked food or cut fresh fruits or vegetables sit at room temperature more than two hours before putting them in the refrigerator or freezer (one hour when the temperature is above 90°F).

+ Never defrost food at room temperature. Food must be kept at a safe temperature during thawing. There are three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately.

+ Always marinate food in the refrigerator.

+ Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator.

+ Use or discard refrigerated food on a regular basis. Do not eat leftover meat that has been refrigerated for more than four days or stuffing for more than two.

Source: FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Humboldt County Public Health Branch, Carol Miller of Food Service Assist