scholarly journals Restaurant Policies and Practices Related to Norovirus Outbreak Size and Duration

2020 ◽  
Vol 83 (9) ◽  
pp. 1607-1618
Author(s):  
E. RICKAMER HOOVER ◽  
NICOLE HEDEEN ◽  
AMY FREELAND ◽  
ANITA KAMBHAMPATI ◽  
DANIEL DEWEY-MATTIA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
The United States ◽  
Safety Training ◽  
Foodborne Illness ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Safety Certification ◽  
Food Safety Training ◽  
Outbreak Size ◽  
Policies And Practices

ABSTRACT Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States, and restaurants are the most common setting of foodborne norovirus outbreaks. Therefore, prevention and control of restaurant-related foodborne norovirus outbreaks is critical to lowering the burden of foodborne illness in the United States. Data for 124 norovirus outbreaks and outbreak restaurants were obtained from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveillance systems and analyzed to identify relationships between restaurant characteristics and outbreak size and duration. Findings showed that restaurant characteristics, policies, and practices were linked with both outbreak size and outbreak duration. Compared with their counterparts, restaurants that had smaller outbreaks had the following characteristics: managers received food safety certification, managers and workers received food safety training, food workers wore gloves, and restaurants had cleaning policies. In addition, restaurants that provided food safety training to managers, served food items requiring less complex food preparation, and had fewer managers had shorter outbreaks compared with their counterparts. These findings suggest that restaurant characteristics play a role in norovirus outbreak prevention and intervention; therefore, implementing food safety training, policies, and practices likely reduces norovirus transmission, leading to smaller or shorter outbreaks. HIGHLIGHTS

Complaint-Based Surveillance for Foodborne Illness in the United States: A Survey of Local Health Departments

2011 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 432-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN LI ◽  
GULZAR H. SHAH ◽  
CRAIG HEDBERG
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Burden Of Illness ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
The United States ◽  
Foodborne Illness ◽  
Outbreak Detection ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Health Departments ◽  
Local Health Departments

Foodborne illnesses are an important public health problem in the United States in terms of both the burden of illness and cost to the health care system. Strengthening foodborne illness surveillance helps address the growing issues of food safety in the United States. Very little is known about the use of consumer complaint surveillance systems for foodborne illness. This study evaluates the use of these surveillance systems by local health departments (LHDs) in the United States and their practices and policies for investigating complaints. Data for this study were collected through two Web-based surveys based on a representative sample of LHDs in the United States; 81% of LHDs use complaint-based surveillance. Of those that did not have a complaint system, 64% reported that the state health department or another agency ran their complaint system. Health departments collect a wide variety of information from callers through their complaint systems, including food intake history. Most of the LHDs, however, do not store the information in an electronic database. Outbreak rates and complaint rates were found to be positively correlated, with a Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.38. Complaints were the most common outbreak detection mechanism reported by respondents, with a median of 69% of outbreaks during the previous year found through complaints. Complaint systems are commonly used in the United States. Increasing the rate at which illnesses are reported by the public and improving investigation practices could help increase the number of outbreaks detected through complaint surveillance.

scholarly journals 325 Biosensors and Intelligent Packaging to Improve Food Safety

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 64-64
Author(s):  
Yi-Cheng Wang
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
The United States ◽  
Foodborne Illness ◽  
Future Prospects ◽  
Intelligent Packaging ◽  
Novel Technologies ◽  
The Future ◽  
Food Safety And Quality

Abstract Food safety is a critical and enduring challenge. Each year in the United States alone, about 48 million people get sick, and among them, 3,000 die due to foodborne illness. The associated economic loss is estimated at $15.6 billion. Researchers are developing a range of novel technologies to address this issue. Two of these are biosensors, devices that can be used to detect foodborne contaminants; and intelligent packaging, which can send messages about food safety and quality to producers, distributors, and consumers. This talk will introduce these two engineering-based approaches, using examples of how they can potentially be used, and describes the future prospects for each of them.

The Food Safety Modernization Act: Implications for U.S. Small Scale Farms

2015 ◽  
Vol 41 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 395-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn A. Boys ◽  
Michael Ollinger ◽  
Leon L. Geyer
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
The United States ◽  
Current Treatment ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Foodborne Illness ◽  
Special Treatment ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Small Farms ◽  
Small Farm

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) reforms law governing the safety of human and animal foods produced for consumption in the United States. Recognizing the challenges that the proposed regulations would impose on small farms, Congress included an amendment to exempt small farms from the full scope of FSMA requirements. This special treatment and other issues left unaddressed by FSMA, however, present challenges for buyers of small farm products and is inducing a private sector response to these regulatory gaps. This Article reviews the current treatment of small farms under FSMA and explores some key impacts and implications of FSMA on these organizations. Particular consideration is given to the unintended consequences of the Tester-Hagan Amendment and the unaddressed issue of liability for foodborne illness.

FRESH PRODUCE FOOD SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAM FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

2004 ◽  
pp. 331-337
Author(s):  
D.J. Osborne ◽  
D.C. Sanders ◽  
D.R. Ward ◽  
J.W. Rushing ◽  
W.C. Hurst
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Fresh Produce ◽  
Southeastern United States ◽  
Safety Training ◽  
Food Safety Training

Integrating the Food and Drug Administration Office of the Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network’s foodborne illness outbreak surveillance and response activities with principles of the National Incident Management System

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-141
Author(s):  
Sharon Seelman, MS, MBA ◽  
Stelios Viazis, PhD ◽  
Sheila Pack Merriweather, MPH ◽  
Tami Craig Cloyd, DVM ◽  
Megan Aldridge, MPH ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Drug Administration ◽  
Food And Drug Administration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Foodborne Illness ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Outbreak Response ◽  
National Incident Management System ◽  
Outbreak Investigations

The Food Safety Modernization Act mandates building a national Integrated Food Safety System, which represents a seamless partnership among federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal agencies. During multistate foodborne illness outbreak investigations, local and state partners, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety Inspection Service, depending on the regulated food product, become engaged and assist in coordinating the efforts between partners involved and determine the allocation of resources. The FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) Office of the Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation (CORE) Network coordinates foodborne illness outbreak surveillance, response, and post-response activities related to incidents involving multiple illnesses linked to FDA-regulated human food, dietary supplements, and cosmetic products. FDA has implemented the National Incident Management System (NIMS) Incident Command System (ICS) principles across the agency to coordinate federal response efforts, and CORE has adapted NIMS ICS principles for the emergency management of multistate foodborne illness outbreaks. CORE’s implementation of ICS principles has provided several benefits to the operational cycle of foodborne illness outbreak investigations, including establishing a consistent, standardized, and transparent step-by-step approach to outbreak investigations. ICS principles have been instrumental in the development of a national platform for rapid and systematic laboratory, traceback, and epidemiologic information sharing, data analysis, and decision-making. This allows for partners across jurisdictions to reach a consensus regarding outbreak goals and objectives, deploy resources, and take regulatory and public health actions.

If FDA Does Not Regulate Food, Who Will? A Study of Hormones and Antibiotics in Meat Production

2015 ◽  
Vol 41 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 459-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Donovan
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
The United States ◽  
Foodborne Illness ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Regulatory Structure ◽  
Production Methods ◽  
Safety Risks ◽  
Better Regulation ◽  
Foodborne Outbreaks

Approximately 128,000 Americans are hospitalized and 3000 die each year from foodborne illness. A ten-year study of 4589 foodborne outbreaks attributed 46% of these hospitalizations and 43% of the deaths to meat. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the primary federal agency tasked with regulating food, is aware of these statistics, and characterizes them as “largely preventable.” It is becoming clear that modern meat production methods allow pathogens to spread with ease, creating great food safety risks. Startling numbers of people continue to get sick each year from food, even though regulators believe the harms are preventable, and know the source of many of the risks. This Note explores why the United States under-regulates its food as compared to other nations, and suggests improvements to the domestic regulatory structure that would facilitate better regulation.

scholarly journals Food safety knowledge, attitude, and hygiene practices of street-cooked food handlers in North Dayi District, Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence Sena Tuglo ◽  
Percival Delali Agordoh ◽  
David Tekpor ◽  
Zhongqin Pan ◽  
Gabriel Agbanyo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Safety Training ◽  
Hygiene Practice ◽  
Food Handlers ◽  
Monthly Income ◽  
Training Course ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Food Safety Training ◽  
Average Monthly Income ◽  
Cooked Food

Abstract Background Food safety and hygiene are currently a global health apprehension especially in unindustrialized countries as a result of increasing food-borne diseases (FBDs) and accompanying deaths. This study aimed at assessing knowledge, attitude, and hygiene practices (KAP) of food safety among street-cooked food handlers (SCFHs) in North Dayi District, Ghana. Methods This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted on 407 SCFHs in North Dayi District, Ghana. The World Health Organization’s Five Keys to Safer Food for food handlers and a pretested structured questionnaire were adapted for data collection among stationary SCFHs along principal streets. Significant parameters such as educational status, average monthly income, registered SCFHs, and food safety training course were used in bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models to calculate the power of the relationships observed. Results The majority 84.3% of SCFHs were female and 56.0% had not attended a food safety training course. This study showed that 67.3%, 58.2%, and 62.9% of SCFHs had good levels of KAP of food safety, respectively. About 87.2% showed a good attitude of separating uncooked and prepared meal before storage. Good knowledge of food safety was 2 times higher among registered SCFHs compared to unregistered [cOR=1.64, p=0.032]. SCFHs with secondary education were 4 times good at hygiene practices of food safety likened to no education [aOR=4.06, p=0.003]. Above GHc1500 average monthly income earners were 5 times good at hygiene practices of food safety compared to below GHc500 [aOR=4.89, p=0.006]. Registered SCFHs were 8 times good at hygiene practice of food safety compared to unregistered [aOR=7.50, p<0.001]. The odd for good hygiene practice of food safety was 6 times found among SCFHs who had training on food safety courses likened to those who had not [aOR=5.97, p<0.001]. Conclusions Over half of the SCFHs had good levels of KAP of food safety. Registering as SCFH was significantly associated with good knowledge and hygiene practices of food safety. Therefore, our results may present an imperative foundation for design to increase food safety and hygiene practice in the district, region, and beyond.

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