FDA Creates New Response Network
With the Cargill ground turkey salmonella outbreak and the Rocky Ford cantaloupe listeria outbreak causing hundreds of illnesses and at least 9 deaths, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has created the Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation (CORE) Network.
CORE has been created to manage outbreak response, surveillance and post-response activities related to illness outbreaks associated with human, animal or cosmetic products that the agency regulates.
CORE’s goals are to strengthen and streamline response to outbreaks and to enhance
the FDA’s efforts to prevent, detect, investigate and learn from them, the agency said in a press release. A full-time staff will provide continuity and bolster the level of expertise, the release stated. Kathleen Gensheimer, M.D., will be CORE’s chief medical officer and outbreak director.
The CORE network includes field officers, regional specialists and members of the Rapid Response Team, the Office of Crisis Management at FDA, the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and the Center for Veterinary Medicine.
“A real benefit of the network approach is enhancing communication and coordination with federal, state and local food safety agencies, as well as industry and consumers,” said Dr. Gensheimer. “Given my background at the state public health level, this is a major priority for me.”
Source: http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/CORENetwork/default.htm
