National Voluntary Environmental Assessment Information System (NVEAIS)

Learn more about CDC’s new surveillance system to capture environmental assessment data from foodborne illness outbreaks.

NVEAIS is a national effort to systematically collect, analyze, interpret, and disseminate environmental data from foodborne illness outbreak investigations. The system will provide food safety program officials with information to

Take food safety actions and assess effectiveness,
Support program evaluation,
Develop or modify program policies or regulations based on sound epidemiologic data,
Train environmental health specialists about environmental causes related to foodborne illness outbreaks, and
Help prevent foodborne illness outbreaks associated with restaurants and other food venues (such as banquet facilities, schools, and other institutions).

Register for NVEAIS: Why Your Jurisdiction’s Participation Is Important

Data collected in NVEAIS will help CDC and other public health professionals determine and understand the primary causes of outbreaks. Users will submit data about foodborne illness outbreaks, which will improve response to and prevention of future outbreaks. Analysis of the data will help to determine how and why outbreaks occur. CDC will use data from NVEAIS to

Recommend actions for food safety programs
Share findings with food safety programs, food industries, and academia

The recommendations and sharing of findings should increase effectiveness of food safety programs, increase food safety, and decrease foodborne illness. By participating in NVEAIS, you can help identify the environmental causes of foodborne illness outbreaks and reduce future outbreaks.

In addition, participating in NVEAIS can also improve public health practice by

Providing a standardized, detailed reporting avenue for food safety programs to capture needed information.
Establishing a sound epidemiological basis for disease prevention activities.

Visit the Background page for more information on environmental assessments and the importance of finding the underlying environmental causes of foodborne illness outbreaks.

Get started today! Visit the NVEAIS Participation page for the steps needed to gain access to the system.

Already an approved NVEAIS user? Log on to NVEAIS (note: NVEAIS is supported by EHSNIS, a free tool to support environmental health data collection).

e-Learning Training on Environmental Assessments of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks: A Helpful Tool for NVEAIS Users

Screen shot from training module of simulated interview with food worker.

Refrigerator contents seen in a simulated environmental assessment of a restaurant facility.

CDC created a free course titled e-Learning on Environmental Assessment of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks. This e-learning course is recommended as a precursor for those who wish to participate in NVEAIS, though it is not required. By taking this interactive course, users will gain knowledge to help enhance the quality of data reported into NVEAIS and better understand terminology, agency roles and responsibilities, and the connection of the environment to foodborne illness.

Visit e-Learning on Environmental Assessment of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks for more information on the free e-learning course.