Health
CDC Reduces Scope of Foodborne Illness Tracking
Health Points
- The CDC’s FoodNet now tracks only salmonella and STEC infections in ten states.
- Six other foodborne pathogens are no longer part of active federal monitoring in this network.
- Experts are concerned about the impact on outbreak detection and public health response.
The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, known as FoodNet, has limited its federal surveillance to two pathogens as of July 1: salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. Previously, the program also tracked campylobacter, cyclospora, listeria, shigella, vibrio, and Yersinia.
These changes mean that ten participating states are no longer required to monitor six other significant pathogens as part of the network. States may decide to run their own surveillance programs, but it is no longer a federal mandate under FoodNet.
FoodNet is a collaboration among the CDC, FDA, USDA, and state health departments, covering about 54 million people, or 16% of the U.S. population. Experts warn that this reduction in scope might make it more challenging to detect increases in foodborne illnesses or emerging outbreaks quickly.
“Essentially, CDC is backing off on one of their best surveillance systems,” said Dr. J. Glenn Morris, director of the Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida.
The CDC explained that funding limitations were behind the decision to focus on core activities. Other national systems, such as the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System and the Listeria Initiative, still exist for tracking these pathogens, but do not offer the same level of active monitoring as FoodNet.
Food safety advocates, including Barbara Kowalcyk of George Washington University, expressed disappointment in the decision, emphasizing the importance of robust food safety tracking to inform policy and protect public health.
“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,” she said.
Federal officials maintain that protecting the food supply remains a priority, but some states may need to scale back surveillance depending on future funding. Continued vigilance and personal food safety practices are key to staying healthy, especially for those at higher risk.
Stay informed about food safety updates and take steps to protect yourself by practicing careful food handling and hygiene at home.