Accurate, Timely Foodborne Illness Data Needed to Improve U.S. Food Safety
Tuesday, January 31, 2012(American Meat Institute)
Food attribution data is essential to
understand better the relationship and
associated risks between microorganisms and
food, the American Meat Institute (AMI) told
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Food and Drug Administration and USDA Food
Safety and Inspection Service today, and better
food attribution data is critical in enhancing
food safety. AMI made its comments in a
public meeting held today to discuss federal
efforts to enhance food safety strategies
through the improved use and characterization
of foodborne illness source attribution.
“Having and utilizing objective data allows food safety stakeholders to allocate food safety resources appropriately and scientifically justify the decisions made in their food safety systems,” AMI Director of Scientific Affairs Betsy Booren, Ph.D., said. “By having timely, credible food attribution data, the food industry can accurately identify and improve any food safety gaps that may exist. It also may help identify emerging foodborne risks, especially when such risks have not been previously associated with specific foods.”
AMI recommended several key steps:
- Accelerating the release of food
attribution data beyond current status of one
to two year delay.
- Expand food attribution categories as
needed to accurately characterize and report
the causative agent in a foodborne
event.
- A yearly stakeholder briefing with CDC,
FDA, FSIS, and the food industry to create a
dialogue to exchange information and share
“lessons” learned.
- Clearer communication regarding changes and revisions to the CDC Foodborne Outbreak Database.
“AMI recognizes the challenges of accurately
estimating the burden of foodborne disease and
attributing these burdens to food types, but
these metrics are essential,” Booren said. “The
last decade has shown the important role
cooperation and communication among public
health officials, regulators, the food
industry, and other allied stakeholders have
had on improving food safety.”
The full comments are available here: http://www.meatami.com/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/75353.
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