A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlights growing concerns about foodborne illness in the United States. According to the CDC, nearly 10 million people became sick from a foodborne illness in 2019. More than 53,000 were hospitalized, and 931 people died.

Jennifer Cope, with the CDC’s Division of Foodborne Diseases, says salmonella was the leading cause of death among foodborne illnesses. She also notes that the rising number of reported illnesses may not necessarily mean foodborne illness is increasing, rather detection is improving.

“We’ve been testing more,” Cope said. “It doesn’t mean there is more, it just means we’ve been better able to detect it.”

Cope says norovirus was the most common foodborne illness in 2019. “Norovirus, that I think a lot of people are familiar with, as well as campylobacter and salmonella are bacteria — those are the top three for causing illness,” she explained.

As for the illnesses that led to death, Cope said salmonella, campylobacter, norovirus, and listeria were the top causes.

To protect yourself and others, Cope advises following basic food safety practices: wash your hands frequently, separate raw meats from other food items while preparing meals, and cook meat to the proper internal temperature to kill harmful germs.