FDA and CDC Partner to Reduce Foodborne Illness in Retail and Foodservice Establishments
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On October 4th, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that they have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen food safety in retail environments. The goal of the renewed partnership between the FDA and the CDC is to help reduce the occurrence of foodborne illness in retail and foodservice establishments.
This MOU will help increase the consistency and capacity of retail food protection programs across the country, promote a general culture of food safety, and facilitate continued communication between the FDA and CDC in order to assist state, local, tribal, territorial, and industry partners.
The FDA’s collaboration with CDC has helped inform the FDA’s work on the Food Code, which serves as a model for safeguarding public health and ensuring food is unadulterated for consumers. The Food Code, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year, provides uniform standards to better ensure compliance; establishes a standardized approach for inspections; and helps protect consumers and industry from potentially devastating health consequences and financial losses. The FDA has also historically worked with CDC to help control the foodborne illness risk factors for foodborne illness outbreaks in retail settings.
