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CDC Launches Simpler, More Complete Foodborne Outbreak Search

Outbreak Searches: Easier, More Complete

Graphic: Foodborne Outbreak Online Database Food Tool.

Tool Includes New Maps, Interactive Features, and Food Searches

CDC is making it easier to search data on foodborne disease outbreaks. A redesigned online tool lets you search nearly 20 years of outbreak data by state, food, or germ.

The Foodborne Outbreak Online Database Tool (FOOD Tool) now includes:

  • Interactive features, such as maps, graphs, and tables;
  • Search capability by specific foods and ingredients;
  • “Quick stats” display;
  • Case counts for multistate outbreaks; and
  • Reported national foodborne outbreak data from 1998 to 2014.
Finding Food Sources and Germs That Cause Outbreaks

An estimated 1 in 6 Americans get sick from foodborne illness every year. Tracking and reporting outbreak information is critical to understanding how foodborne illness impacts the public's health.

The tool lets you search foodborne disease data by year, state, location of food preparation, food and ingredient, and cause. It provides information on numbers of illnesses, hospitalizations, deaths, the germ, and whether the cause was confirmed or suspected.

“During an outbreak, public health investigators can use the database to help point them towards possible food sources by searching foods implicated in past outbreaks,” said Barbara Mahon, MD, MPH, deputy branch chief of CDC’s Enteric Diseases Epidemiology Branch. “And they can find information on which germs caused outbreaks.”

The database contains all foodborne disease outbreaks reported to CDC. However, not all outbreaks are reported. An FAQ provides guidance on using the data and limitations to keep in mind when searching by food or ingredient.

Surveillance System Captures and Analyzes Reported Outbreak Data

FOOD Tool’s data come from CDC’s Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System, which captures information on foodborne outbreaks caused by enteric bacterial, viral, parasitic, and chemical agents reported by state, local, and territorial public health agencies.

CDC analyzes these data to understand the impact of foodborne outbreaks and the causes, foods, settings, and contributing factors (for example, food kept at room temperature for too long).

Access the updated FOOD Tool at wwwn.cdc.gov/foodborneoutbreaks.

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IUFoST Scientific Information Bulletin (SIB)

 

FOOD FRAUD PREVENTION

John Spink, PhD
Summary
Food Fraud – and the focus on prevention – is an important and evolving food industry focus. Even though the vast majority of these incidents do not have a health hazard in some ways they are more dangerous because the substances and actions are unknown and untraceable.  The types of food fraud stretch the traditional role of food science and technology to include criminology, supply chain traceability and other control systems. The food authenticity and integrity testing will be the most complex actions and their value should be assessed in terms of the contribution to prevention. This Scientific Information Bulletin (SIB) presents an introduction, review of incidents, the fundamentals of prevention which then provide insight on the optimal role of Food Science and Technology.
See IUFoST SIBS below for the complete Food Fraud Prevention Scientific Information Bulletin.

 

2017

 

 

 

Congratulations Prof. Dr. Purwiyatno Hariyadi

Congratulations to Prof. Dr. Puwiyatno Hariyadi who has been elected to the position of Vice-Chair of the  CODEX Alimentarius Commission.

Dr. Hariyadi is a Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology (IAFoST) and Senior scientist, SEAFAST Center; Professor, Dept. Food Science and Technology, Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia.

World Congress

 

Mumbai, India

 

October 23-27, 2018

 

Register at www.iufost2018.com