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Issue Number: Council II 029

Title

CIFOR Foodborne Illness Response Guidelines for the Food Industry

Issue you would like the Conference to consider

The Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR) Foodborne Illness Response Guidelines for the Food Industry was developed as voluntary guidance for managers of Food Establishments ("Industry") to help outline, clarify, and explain Industry's recommended role in a foodborne illness outbreak investigation. It provides a step-by-step approach that Industry can take, including preparation, detection, investigation, control, and follow-up. The Guideline also describes key information to assist Industry in understanding what to expect when first notified of potential illnesses and provides Tools to help guide Industry through the process.

The Guideline and its tools provide valuable information for industry and the regulatory community in the event of a foodborne disease outbreak. It should be made widely available to stakeholders through publication as part of the FDA Food Code. Once officially adopted by CIFOR, the Guideline and tools will be available at www.cifor.us.

Public Health Significance

By using this Guideline and Tools, Industry can take an active and educated role in the outbreak response and investigation, reducing the impact to the public and their business. A fully coordinated investigation can then move more quickly and accurately, yielding dependable results that are in the interest of public health while limiting impact to Industry.

Recommended Solution: The Conference recommends...

that a letter be sent to the FDA requesting the 2009 Food Code:

  1. following its publication, the addition of the CIFOR Foodborne Illness Response Guidelines for the Food Industry to the FDA Food Code, Annex 2 (References), Part 3 (Supporting Documents).
  2. following its publication, the addition of the CIFOR Foodborne Illness Response Guidelines for the Food Industry as a reference in FDA's Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standard #5: Foodborne Illness and Defense Preparedness and Response.
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