Food Safety Program
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Foodborne illness in the United States is estimated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to cause 76 million cases of illnesses, over 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths annually. Hospitalizations due to foodborne illnesses are estimated to cost over $3 billion and lost productivity is estimated to cost between $20 billion and $40 billion each year. NACCHO strives to support and work with local health departments to improve food safety and prevent foodborne illness. Representatives from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) met with health officers and fisheries directors from the Gulf Coast region to coordinate and implementation of joint protocol for sampling and reopening state and federal waters. Mike Taylor, Deputy Commissioner of Foods at FDA, noted that together they will implement a program to ensure seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is safe to eat. More » NACCHO Executive Director Robert Pestronk was recently quoted in a USA TODAY article, focused on visible health inspection reports, Should Restaurants Make Health Inspection Grades Visible? He says, "...many health departments are putting information online, and others are placing scores—in the form of letter grades, numerical scores, or color-coded decals—in plain sight at restaurants..." More » 
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently released a report, "Enhancing Food Safety: The Role of the Food and Drug Administration." The report calls for a risk-based prevention-oriented approach to food safety and recommends supportive legislation and continued investment and data to implement these changes. More » 
The Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR) releases its Guidelines for Foodborne Disease Outbreak Response. Local and state agencies vary in the approach to, experience with, and capacity to respond to foodborne disease outbreaks. The CIFOR guidelines have been developed to provide a foundational resource for anyone working in food safety programs. The guidelines are targeted to local, state, and federal agencies and describe the overall approach to foodborne disease outbreaks.
CIFOR would like to share an opportunity to receive up to two (2) free copies of the guidelines book. To get your free copy, please e-mail Shirley Turpin, and don't forget to include your mailing address and telephone number. CIFOR is a multidisciplinary working group convened to increase collaboration across the country in order to reduce the burden of foodborne illness in the U.S. NACCHO and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) co-chair CIFOR with support from the CDC. Click here for the CIFOR Web site. More » |
