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“Modern technology has transformed the production, storage, and
preparation of food. What once was a relatively simple system of
local farming and home preparation is today complex involving producers,
processors, distributors, and retailers. As a result, at many points
in the food chain, food safety becomes compromised.” Moeller,
D.W. Environmental Health, Harvard University Press; 1997.
Environmental health practitioners are the front-line troops in
the protection of food. They conduct regular inspections and provide
education on a daily basis to prevent foodborne outbreaks.
When foodborne outbreaks do occur, practitioners respond to determine
the cause and source of illness. Usually, outbreaks are naturally
occurring, but with terrorist threats, intentional contamination
must be considered.
This section provides specific information on how practitioners
can effectively prevent and respond to foodborne outbreaks and emphasizes
food-security related issues.
CDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response – how to prepare, plan, and respond to food safety after disasters:
CDC Food Safety Office – conducts surveillance on foodborne diseases related to bacterial, parasitic, viral, and noninfectious agents
CDC Foodborne Outbreak Response and Surveillance – conducts surveillance on foodborne infections and outbreaks and assists with investigation of foodborne disease outbreaks:
Food Safety Self Inspection Checklist [PDF 776 KB] – checklists used by food service establishments for routine food security and safety self-evaluation
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) [external link]
Emergency Action Plans for Retail Food Establishments [external link] (Michigan Department of Agriculture) – guide for retail grocery and food service establishments to plan and respond to emergencies that create the potential for an imminent health hazard
Facilitator's Guide to Foodborne Illness Tabletop [external link] (Public Health Foundation) – course to assist facilitators of the tabletop exercise in successfully running the exercise [register here first]
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition – information about ensuring that the nation's food supply is safe, sanitary, wholesome, and honestly labeled:
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Counterterrorism [external link] – information about preparing for and responding to intentional contamination of food products:
Food Marketing Institute (FMI) [external link]
FoodSafety.gov [external link] – government food safety information
Food Safety Training and Education Alliance (FSTEA) [external link] – comprehensive list of food security tools, publications, and many other helpful links on food security
National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) [external link] – food safety tools from across the nation
National Recommendations for Disaster Food Handling [external link] – food handling recommendations for disaster and emergency situations
Resources for the Future: Food Security [external link] – summarizes research project descriptions, products, and the work of scholars on global food security issues
The Twin Cities Metro Advanced Practice Center
[external link]
– tools and resources for preparedness that can be used by public
health departments nationwide, including
NEW! November 2007
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) : [external link]
World Health Organization (WHO) [external link]