Critical Food Safety Net weakened: CDC Scales Back monitoring of Hazardous Pathogens
Washington D.C. – A vital federal-state partnership dedicated to tracking foodborne illnesses has quietly reduced its scope, raising concerns among food safety experts about potential risks to public health. As of July 1st, the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) – a collaboration between the CDC, FDA, USDA, and ten state health departments – has narrowed its surveillance to Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) only.
Previously, FoodNet actively monitored eight pathogens, including Campylobacter, Cyclospora, listeria, Shigella, Vibrio, and Yersinia – some of which pose severe threats, notably to vulnerable populations like newborns, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems.
What Changed & Why It Matters
The reduction means states are no longer required to actively track these six additional pathogens, though they are not prohibited from doing so independently. This shift, which has not been publicly announced until now, has sparked worry that emerging outbreaks may be detected more slowly, hindering rapid response efforts.
“A lot of the work that I and many, many, many, many other people have put into improving food safety over the past 20 or 30 years is just going away,” lamented Barbara Kowalcyk, director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University, whose son tragically died from an E. coli infection in 2001.
Funding Shortfalls Blamed
internal CDC documents obtained by NBC News reveal the core issue: “Funding has not kept pace with the resources required to maintain the continuation of FoodNet surveillance for all eight pathogens.” The CDC maintains that other surveillance systems,like the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System and the listeria Initiative,will continue to track these pathogens.
however, experts emphasize a critical difference. FoodNet is the only federal system that proactively searches for multiple foodborne diseases.Other systems are “passive,” relying on states to report cases – a slower and potentially less comprehensive approach.
Impact on Public Health
The narrowing of FoodNet’s focus could considerably impact the ability to:
Identify rising trends: Without active, consistent monitoring, it will be harder to spot increases in illnesses caused by the six pathogens no longer under FoodNet’s direct surveillance.
Respond to outbreaks quickly: Delayed detection means slower response times, potentially leading to wider outbreaks and more severe illness.
Compare data over time: The change disrupts the past data stream,making it tough to assess the long-term effectiveness of food safety measures.
FoodNet currently covers approximately 54 million Americans – 16% of the U.S. population – across ten states: colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, oregon, Tennessee, and select counties in California and New York.
The CDC insists that despite the narrowed focus, FoodNet will maintain its “infrastructure and the quality it has come to represent,” prioritizing core activities. Though, food safety advocates fear this represents a significant step backward in protecting the nation’s food supply.
Keywords: Food safety, CDC, FoodNet, foodborne Illness, E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, Public Health, Outbreak, Surveillance, Funding, FDA, USDA, Health News, Food Poisoning.
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