Food Safety Newsletter - May 13, 2016

CDC Releases Report on Foodborne Outbreaks

In 2014, 864 foodborne disease outbreaks were reported to CDC, according to a recently released annual summary from the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS). The data comes from reports that state, local, and territorial public health agencies made to the Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System using NORS.

Here are the main findings from Surveillance for Foodborne Disease Outbreaks, United States, 2014: Annual Report.

• Reported foodborne disease outbreaks resulted in 13,246 illnesses, 712 hospitalizations, 21 deaths, and 21 food recalls.
• Ground beef was the contaminated food or ingredient in five of the 25 multistate outbreaks. Four were caused by Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and one bySalmonella.
• The most common single food categories implicated were fish (43 outbreaks), chicken (23), and dairy (19, of which 15 were due to unpasteurized products).
• The most outbreak-associated illnesses were from seeded vegetables (such as cucumbers or tomatoes, 428 illnesses), chicken (354), and dairy (267).
• Restaurants were the most commonly reported locations of food preparation, as reported in previous years. Restaurants were linked to 485 outbreaks, 65% of outbreaks reporting a single location of preparation. Restaurants with sit-down dining were the most commonly reported locations of food preparation with 394 outbreaks, 53% of outbreaks reporting a single location of preparation.

When two or more people get the same illness from the same contaminated food, the event is called a foodborne disease outbreak. Outbreaks provide important insights into how germs are spread, which food and germ combinations make people sick, and how to prevent food poisoning.

See other highlights.
Read the full report.
Learn the risks of drinking raw milk.
Learn more about listeria.

Memorial Day is right around the corner, and so is grilling season. CDC's graphic provides information on the minimum safe internal temperature foods need to reach to kill germs that could cause foodborne illness. You can find versions for Facebook andTwitter with our communication resources.



Shiga Toxin-Producing E. Coli and Food Safety
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Consumer Food Safety Education Conference

The 2017 Consumer Food Safety Education Conference has announced a call for abstracts, with a deadline of June 5, 2016. The conference, January 25-27, 2017, in Washington, D.C., will focus on behavior change as a way to improve food safety at home or work.
Read more.