Group Members: Blake Angelo,
Kacy Crawford & Jacinda Maurer
Introduction to Food Safety and Food Borne Illnesses
In light of recent food safety incidents including the 2011 Listeria outbreak in cantaloupe and the 2006 E.coli O157:H7 outbreak in spinach, many producers, government officials, consumers, and others are very interested in improving food safety and reducing foodborne illnesses.
Food Safety and Food Borne Illness Statistics
Food borne illnesses affect approximately 1 in 6 Americans each year
(Scallan, et al., 2011). Illnesses can be caused by microorganisms, like bacteria,
viruses, and parasites, as well as, chemicals and other naturally occurring
toxins. Persons with food borne illnesses may experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, colitis, fever, edema,
jaundice, weight loss, flu-like symptoms, and/or miscarriage/still birth. As
such, food borne illnesses and food safety are critical issues that
warrant public attention and governmental action.
 |
| From Scharff. (2011). "The High Cost of Food Borne Illness." |
According to the CDC, in 2011 there
were 48 million food-related illnesses in the US, resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations
and 3000 deaths. Using these data, Dr. Robert Scharff, a
researcher from the Ohio State University Food Innovation Center, estimates
that food borne illnesses have a total annual economic cost to the US of $77.7
Billion (90% CI $29-$149B), a value that includes medical costs, productivity
losses, mortality, and pain and suffering (Scharff, 2011).
 |
| From Scharff. (2011). The High Cost of Food Borne Illness. |
 | |
|
FDA’s Top 10 Riskiest Foods
Outbreaks
|
Cases
|
|
Leafy Greens
|
363
|
13568
|
Eggs
|
352
|
11163
|
Tuna
|
268
|
2341
|
Oysters
|
132
|
3409
|
Potatoes
|
108
|
3659
|
Cheese
|
83
|
2761
|
Ice Cream
|
74
|
2594
|
Tomatoes
|
31
|
3292
|
Sprouts
|
31
|
2022
|
Berries
|
25
|
3397
|
Total Produce
|
558
|
25,938
|
Data from Center
for Science in the Public Interest, October, 2009 http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/cspi_top_10_fda.pdf
 |
| From CDC. (2011). CDC and Food Safety. |
Food Safety and Food Borne Illness Timeline
2011 - Federal Food Safety Modernization Act was signed into law
2011 - Listeria outbreak in cantaloupes from Colorado
2008 – FDA approved irridation for iceberg lettuce and spinach to prevent Salmonella and E.coli
2008 – Salmonella outbreak in peppers from Mexico
2008 - Salmonella outbreak in peanut butter from processing facility in Georgia
2006 - E.coli O157:H7 outbreak in spinach from California
2004 - USDA set standards for Organic foods
2003- Hepatitis A outbreak in green onions from Mexico
1996 – FoodNet network was implemented in ten states
1993 - E.coli outbreak in hamburger meat
1906 – Meat Inspection Act passed requiring the USDA to supervise and control meat processing and sales.
1906 – Federal Food and Drug Act passed to supervise and control food labeling, processing and sales.
1906 – Upton Sinclair’s novel “The Jungle” catalyzed a food safety movement focusing on unsanitary conditions in meat processing
CDC Food Safety Targets and Trends
Indicator
|
Baseline
|
2015 Target
|
Reduce the
rate of infections caused by Salmonella
|
15.2 cases
per 100,000 population (2006-2008)
|
13.3 cases
per 100,000 population
(12.5%
reduction)
|
Reduce the
rate of infections caused by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)
O157:H7
|
1.2 cases per
100,000 population (2006-2008)
|
0.85 cases
per 100,000 population
(29%
reduction)
|
Healthy People 2020 Goals &
Objectives related to Food Safety of Produce
(from http://healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/objectiveslist.aspx?topicId=14)
(from http://healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/objectiveslist.aspx?topicId=14)
Goal:
Improve food safety and reduce foodborne illnesses.
FS-2
Reduce the number of outbreak-associated infections due to
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157, or Campylobacter, Listeria, or Salmonella
species associated with food commodity groups
FS-2.3
|
Reduce the number of outbreak-associated infections due to
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157, or Campylobacter, Listeria, or Salmonella
species associated with fruits and nuts
|
Data:
Baseline:
|
311 reported outbreak-associated
infections, on average, per year due to Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157,
or Campylobacter, Listeria, or Salmonella species were associated with fruits
and nuts in 2005–07
|
Target:
|
280 cases per
year
|
Target-Setting Method:
|
10
percent improvement
|
FS-2.4
|
Reduce the number of outbreak-associated infections due to
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157, or Campylobacter, Listeria, or Salmonella
species associated with leafy vegetables
|
|
Baseline:
|
205 reported outbreak-associated
infections, on average, per year due to Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157,
or Campylobacter, Listeria, or Salmonella species were associated with leafy
vegetables in 2005–07
|
|
Target:
|
185 cases per
year
|
|
Target-Setting
Method:
|
10
percent improvement
| |
Infections due to Shiga toxin-producing
E. coli O157, or Campylobacter, Listeria, or Salmonella species associated with
leafy vegetables (number)
Five Ready-to-Eat (RTE)
Food Safety Interventions
1.
Pre-Harvest: Elimination of pathogens from irrigation
water.
The
importance of testing and treating pathogenic irrigation water cannot be
understated for RTE fruits and vegetables.
Often, water is pulled from ponds or streams near the farms and may
contain pathogens. Regular testing of
irrigation water and elimination of pathogens is a necessary step, especially
when the water is to be used on food products before harvest.
2.
Post-harvest:
Rapid cooling of produce and application of sanitizing solution.
The
rapid cooling of produce following harvest limits the growth of pathogens and
extends the shelf life of the product.
It may also be beneficial to mist produce with a sanitizing solution
post-harvest to help limit the growth of pathogens picked up from the field.
3.
Surveillance: Implementation of FoodNet in 1996.
FoodNet
is a surveillance system put in place to track trends for infections commonly
transmitted through food. Its objectives
are to determine the burden of foodborne disease in the United States, to
monitor trends of foodborne illness over time, to attribute the burden of
foodborne illness to specific foods and settings, and to disseminate
information that can lead to improvements in public health practice and the
development of interventions to reduce the burden of foodborne illness.
4.
Training
and Education: Educate and train
industry professionals, food handlers, and consumers of good food safety
practices.
The
World Health Organization has suggested that education and training of food handlers and consumers is the single
most important way to prevent foodborne illnesses. Numerous training tools have been created in
order to educate the food industry workforce on best food handling
practices. Consumer education is also
essential and many campaigns have been forged by the FDA and USDA to emphasize
the importance of safe food handling and preparation in the home.
5.
Legislation: FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)
signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011.
These
new regulations aim to shift the focus from responding to outbreaks to
preventing them. For the first time, the
FDA will have mandatory recall authority for all food products and a mandate
requiring comprehensive, prevention-based controls across the food supply. The FDA will establish science-based
standards for the safe production and harvesting of fruits and vegetables to
minimize the risk of serious illness of death.
Also, the FSMA grants significant oversight of imported food, many of
which are RTE fruits and vegetables.
Goal: Improve state and federal epidemiologic, laboratory and environmental health capacity to quickly detect and respond to foodborne outbreaks.
Goal: Decrease the rate of foodborne illness and the number of foodborne outbreaks each year
Our Recommendations to Achieve the CDC’s Winnable Battle Goals of Food Safety
Goal: Improve knowledge of incidence, trends, burden, and causes of foodborne illness.
Recommendation: With FoodNet personnel located at state health departments in 10 states and a surveillance area that includes 15% of the US population, we recommend that the CDC grows the FoodNet surveillance area. This expansion will give public health professionals a more accurate view of the burden of foodborne illness in the US and continue to paint a more complete picture of possible trends that are developing and interventions that should be implemented.
Goal: Improve state and federal epidemiologic, laboratory and environmental health capacity to quickly detect and respond to foodborne outbreaks.
Recommendation: Continuing to grow state-to-state communications before, during, and after outbreaks will be necessary to the improvement of outbreak responsiveness. Without the development of solid public health networks, it will be impossible for epidemiologists across the country to work together efficiently and share up-to-date information. Relevant data should continue to be analyzed in order to show the necessity for funding to be given to the improvement of food safety programs.
Goal: Decrease the rate of foodborne illness and the number of foodborne outbreaks each year
Recommendation: To achieve this goal, a comprehensive approach will need to be implemented. It will be essential that the FDA enforces FSMA regulation and develops best practices for the food industry. Without enforcement of the legislation, the safety of our food will not improve. The CDC and state health departments should continue to promote correct food handling practices for consumers and push for proper education of our food industry workforce. Not only will prevention be essential, but we will need to improve responsiveness to outbreaks that do occur and track foodborne disease trends. This information will impact food safety policy on a national level and show opportunities for procedure improvement in the future.
Food Safety Videos and Songs
Video: Safe Handling of Raw Produce and Fresh-Squeezed Fruit and Vegetable Juices: Safe Handling of Raw Produce and Fresh-Squeezed Fruit and Vegetable Juices: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbhudxB3W-M
Food Safety Song: We are the Microbes
Food Safety Song: Stayin' Alive
Food Safety Song: You Better Wash Your Hands
Food Safety Song: Stayin' Alive
Food Safety Song: You Better Wash Your Hands
Additional Food Safety Links
Food & Drug Administration: www.fda.gov
USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service: www.fsis.usda.gov/
USDA Inspection Service Consumer Alerts
Gateway to Food Safety Government Information: www.foodsafety.gov
CDC Homepage: www.cdc.gov/
Environmental Protection Agency: www.epa.gov
National Environmental Health Association: www.neha.org/
Center for Food Safety and the Prevention of Foodborne Diseases (Colo School of PH) http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/PublicHealth/research/centers/foodsafety/Pages/default.aspx
Colorado Environmental Health Association: http://www.cehaweb.com/
Fight Bac: www.fightbac.org/main.cfm
Centers for Disease Control Infectious Disease Information: http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/index.html
Glo-germ: http://www.glogerm.com/
Jefferson County Health Deparment: http://jeffco.us/health/health_T111_R48.htm
CDC’s FoodNet Surveillance System http://www.cdc.gov/foodnet/
Additional Food Safety Resources
“Food Safety Interventions: Reducing Risk from Farm to Table” http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/magazine-archive1/februarymarch-2011/food-safety-interventions-reducing-risk-from-farm-to-table/
“What does the new food safety law mean to you?”
http://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/fsma.html
FSMA Produce Safety Standards
http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/ucm304045.htm
Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption
http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FDA-2011-N-0921-0001
Food Safety Prevention and Education Just for Kids “Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill”
http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/prevention.html#justforkids
Food Safety Myths Exposed
http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/basics/myths/index.html
Food Safety: A CDC Winnable Battle
http://www.cdc.gov/winnablebattles/foodsafety/pdf/foodsafety_wb_at_a_glance.pdf
Food & Drug Administration: www.fda.gov
USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service: www.fsis.usda.gov/
USDA Inspection Service Consumer Alerts
Gateway to Food Safety Government Information: www.foodsafety.gov
CDC Homepage: www.cdc.gov/
Environmental Protection Agency: www.epa.gov
National Environmental Health Association: www.neha.org/
Center for Food Safety and the Prevention of Foodborne Diseases (Colo School of PH) http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/PublicHealth/research/centers/foodsafety/Pages/default.aspx
Colorado Environmental Health Association: http://www.cehaweb.com/
Fight Bac: www.fightbac.org/main.cfm
Centers for Disease Control Infectious Disease Information: http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/index.html
Glo-germ: http://www.glogerm.com/
Jefferson County Health Deparment: http://jeffco.us/health/health_T111_R48.htm
CDC’s FoodNet Surveillance System http://www.cdc.gov/foodnet/
Additional Food Safety Resources
“Food Safety Interventions: Reducing Risk from Farm to Table” http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/magazine-archive1/februarymarch-2011/food-safety-interventions-reducing-risk-from-farm-to-table/
“What does the new food safety law mean to you?”
http://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/fsma.html
FSMA Produce Safety Standards
http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/ucm304045.htm
Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption
http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FDA-2011-N-0921-0001
Food Safety Prevention and Education Just for Kids “Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill”
http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/prevention.html#justforkids
Food Safety Myths Exposed
http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/basics/myths/index.html
Food Safety: A CDC Winnable Battle
http://www.cdc.gov/winnablebattles/foodsafety/pdf/foodsafety_wb_at_a_glance.pdf
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.(2012). Food Safety. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/WinnableBattles/FoodSafety/index.html.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.(2011). CDC and Food Safety.
Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/resources/CDCandFoodSafety_121410.pdf
Center for Science in the Public Interest. (2010). The Ten Riskiest Foods Regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved from http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/cspi_top_10_fda.pdf
Healthy People. Food Safety. (2013). Retrieved from http://healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicId=14
Scallan, E., Hoekstra, R.M., Angulo, F.J., Tauxe, R.V., Widdowson, M-A., Roy S.L., et al. (2011). Foodborne Illness Acquired in the United States—major pathogens. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17(1).
Scharff, R.L. (2012) The High Cost of Food Borne Illness. Retrieved from http://www.fshn.cahs.colostate.edu/lfs/files/The%20High%20Cost%20of%20Foodborne%20Illness%20-%20Scharff.pdf.
Scharff, R.L. (2010) Foodborne Illness Costs U.S. $152 Billion Annually, Landmark Report Estimates. Make Our Food Safe. Retrieved from http://www.makeourfoodsafe.org/news?id=0019
Scharff, R.L. (2010). Health Related Costs from Foodborne Illness in the United States. Produce Safety Project. Retrieved from http://www.pewhealth.org/uploadedFiles/PHG/Content_Level_Pages/Reports/PSP-Scharff%20v9.pdf
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Food. (2013). Retrieved from
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