U. S. Food and Drug Administration
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Healthy People 2000
National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives
September 1995

4. LINKAGES WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

While FDA, USDA, and CDC have traditionally collaborated, the intensity of the collaborations has increased significantly in the last several years. FDA, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and FSIS have placed full-time liaisons at CDC to ensure that all foodborne illness activities are fully coordinated.

The federal agencies have also increased collaboration with state and local agencies that have the primary responsibility for overseeing the activities of the retail segment of the food industry. Finally, the federal agencies have increased their collaboration with trade associations and training organizations, such as the Food Marketing Institute and the Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association, which conduct training and disseminate information on food safety to their members.

The agencies participate in numerous forums to discuss foodborne disease. These forums include the following:

The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods:

This advisory committee was formed in 1987 by FSIS to provide impartial scientific advice to federal food regulatory agencies for use in the development of an integrated food safety system approach to ensure the safety of domestic, imported, and exported foods. NACMCF is made up of 25 highly respected scientists in food safety and human health disciplines from industry, public interest groups, academia, and government. NACMCF has provided the agencies with answers to food safety questions, including development of HACCP principles, which are now being used in industry pilot programs, a voluntary inspection program for seafood administered by the National Marine Fisheries Service, and planned mandatory FDA and FSIS HACCP programs. Many of the documents produced by this group have included recommendations for needed research and for food safety education for processors, retailers, and consumers.

The Conference for Food Protection:

The Conference for Food Protection is a group of representatives from regulatory agencies at all levels of government, the food industry, academia, and consumer organizations. Its goal is to promote food safety at retail by identifying and addressing problems, providing uniform procedures, and promoting mutual respect and thrust by establishing a working liaison among all parties concerned with food safety.

The Food Safety and Nutrition Education Task Force:

The Task force, co-chaired by FDA and an industry trade group, comprises food and nutrition consumer affairs and education representatives from industry, trade, consumer and public health organizations, government agencies, and public affairs firms. It meets three to four times a year to exchange materials and discuss education strategies and initiatives.

The National Center for Food Safety and Technology (NCFST):

The National Center for Food Safety and Technology (NCFST) is a cooperative government/academia/industry research endeavor that includes the Illinois Institute of Technology, the IIT Research Institute, the University of Illinois Food Science Department, FDA, and food-related industries. Cooperative research endeavors at the NCFST give FDA scientists access to resources and provide them with the opportunity to develop essential expertise which could not have been attained by FDA alone.

Seafood HACCP Alliance and the Meat and Poultry HACCP Alliance:

The Seafood HACCP Alliance and the Meat and Poultry HACCP Alliance are affiliations of federal, state, industry, and academic organizations that are working together to develop and conduct HACCP training programs to facilitate the implementation of HACCP in all segments of the food industry.

The Salmonella Enteritidis Interagency Working Group:

The Salmonella enteritidis Working Group coordinates an integrated approach to the control of S. enteritidis in eggs. The group comprises representatives from USDA (FSIS, APHIS, Agriculture Marketing Service, Agriculture Research Service); CDC; FDA (Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition); the U.S. Animal Health Association; representatives from the egg industry; state animal health departments; and state departments of public health. The working group has considered issues like quality assurance programs as an alternative to the USDA S. enteritidis traceback regulation and requirements for the refrigeration of eggs during transportation and storage. In the near future the group will review information on the effectiveness of the Pennsylvania Egg Quality Assurance Program in reducing S. enteritidis in flocks, and will consider recommending national guidelines for quality assurance programs for S. enteritidis in eggs.

The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists:

State and Territorial Epidemiologists are responsible for the surveillance and outbreak investigation of communicable diseases, including foodborne diseases, within their respective states and territories. CDC participates with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, which meets several times each year to discuss matters of public health and consider strategies for addressing these public health issues.

The FDA, CDC, and USDA have also participated in several external multidisciplined study groups that addressed the growing foodborne disease problem. In July 1994, the American Gastroenterological Association Foundation convened a consensus conference on E. coli O157:H7 infections. In September 1994, the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology issued its task force report on foodborne pathogens. In November 1994, the Congressional Research Service convened a seminar of experts in the field of foodborne disease and issued a report to Congress. Each of these forum provided the agencies with useful information and additional opportunities for collaboration and coordination.

Ad hoc meetings are also held with nongovernment organizations to address particular issues. Over the last several years, meetings have been held with such organizations as the Food Marketing Institute, the National Restaurant Association, the National and State Environmental Health Association, and several trade associations representing the meat industry to discuss current and planned activities related to educating food workers about proper food handling practices.