Release of 2019 Annual Report on the Sources of Foodborne Illness by the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration

In an ongoing effort to understand sources of foodborne illness in the United States, the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC) collects and analyzes foodborne illness outbreak data for four pathogens - Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter – and specific foods and food categories that are responsible for foodborne illnesses in the United States. The data are analyzed by calendar year and released in an annual report. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that, together, these four pathogens cause nearly 2 million cases of foodborne illnesses in the U.S. each year.

IFSAC’s newest annual report , “Foodborne illness source attribution estimates for 2019 for Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter using multi-year outbreak surveillance data, United States” is now available.

The updated estimates, combined with other data, may help shape agency priorities and inform the creation of targeted interventions that may help reduce foodborne illnesses caused by these pathogens. As more data become available and methods evolve, attribution estimates may improve. These estimates are intended to inform and engage stakeholders and to improve federal agencies’ abilities to assess whether prevention measures are working.

The methods used in this and prior annual reports are detailed in a peer reviewed article in the January 2021 issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

IFSAC is a collaboration between the CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS). The group was established in 2011 to improve coordination of federal food safety analytic efforts and address cross-cutting priorities for food safety data collection, analysis, and use.

For more information on IFSAC projects, visit cdc.gov/foodsafety/ifsac or email IFSAC@fda.hhs.gov.

FSIS to Post Individual Category Status and Aggregate Results for Poultry Carcasses, Chicken Parts, and Comminuted Poultry Tested for Salmonella

On October 20, 2021, FSIS will update the individual establishment Salmonella performance standard category information for raw poultry carcasses, raw chicken parts and comminuted poultry products on the Salmonella Verification Testing Program Monthly Posting page. Additionally, FSIS will post the aggregate sampling results showing the number of establishments in categories 1, 2, or 3 for establishments producing young chicken or turkey carcasses, raw chicken parts or not ready-to-eat (NRTE) comminuted poultry products at the location linked above.

Policy Update

FSIS notices and directives on public health and regulatory issues are available on the FSIS Policy webpage. The following policy updates were recently issued:

FSIS Notice 45-21 - Cancellation of the Lymph Node Testing to Complement the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System

Export Requirements Update

The Library of Export Requirements has been updated for products for the following:

• Japan
• Taiwan