• The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) has been tracking trends for infections transmitted commonly through food since 1996, collecting data on approximately 15 percent of the U.S. population.  FoodNet is a collaboration of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 10 state health departments, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Food and Drug Administration.  FoodNet’s research helps industry and public health agencies alike determine where efforts are needed to reduce the burden of foodborne illness.
  • Preliminary data from the CDC’s annual FoodNet surveillance report, released on Friday, April 21, 2017, shows that campylobacter caused the most reported bacterial foodborne illnesses in 2016, followed by salmonella and shigella.  Other key findings of the annual FoodNet surveillance report are summarized here.  Recent regulatory measures developed and implemented by both American federal public health agencies and industry are expected to help stem the prevalence of foodborne illnesses in the U.S.  Some of these measures include:
    • USDA-FSIS: Tighter standards for preventing Salmonella and Campylobacter contamination of ground chicken and turkey products, as well as raw chicken parts such as legs, wings, and breasts
    • FDA: Implementing the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules. The first major compliance date was on Sept. 19, 2016, for the preventive controls rules for human and animal food. Larger facilities producing human food must meet preventive controls and Current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements (CGMPs). Larger animal food facilities also must also meet CGMPs
    • Chicken industry: Steps to decrease chicken contamination, including vaccinating chicken flocks against Salmonella.
  • It remains to be seen whether this latest report will result in the development of any additional rules or policies seeking to control and prevent foodborne disease.