Food Safety Updates from CDC
CDC Report: Illnesses Caused by Foodborne Germs Return to Pre-COVID-19-Pandemic Levels
A new report on preliminary 2022 data from the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) finds that reported enteric (intestinal) infections in the United States generally returned to or exceeded levels observed in 2016–2018, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
FoodNet tracks the number of reported infections per 100,000 people, called incidence, for eight pathogens. Compared to the average incidence in 2016–2018, incidence in 2022
- remained the same for Campylobacter, Listeria, Salmonella, and Shigella
- increased for Cyclospora, Shiga toxin-producing coli, Vibrio, and Yersinia
Campylobacter and Salmonella remain the top causes of enteric infections monitored by FoodNet. Increased use of culture-independent diagnostic tests, which allow doctors to rapidly determine the cause of a patient’s illness, likely contributed to the increased detection of infections.
FoodNet data show a lack of progress during 2022 toward Healthy People 2030 goals for reducing foodborne illness. Coordinated efforts among public health agencies, regulatory agencies, industry, and consumer groups are needed to prevent foodborne illness.
FoodNet is a collaboration among CDC, 10 state health departments, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Today’s Food Safety Tip
Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by a toxin that attacks the body’s nerves. Improperly canned, preserved, or fermented foods can provide the right conditions for the bacteria, Clostridium botulinum, to make the toxin.
If you’re preserving vegetables, fruits, or other foods at home, make sure you’re doing it correctly and safely by using proper canning techniques, using the right equipment for the type of food you’re canning, and throwing out food if you have any doubt whether it was canned safely.
Get more information on how to help prevent botulism.
