Commercial Science

FOOD SAFETY
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT PERSPECTIVE

Global Perspective
Food safety poses a global health problem.

According to the World Health Organization,

contaminated food can cause more than 200
diseases and food- and water-borne diseases that
cause diarrhea are estimated
to kill two million people each year worldwide.

United States Comical Perspective

Current Events - Daily Show

Scary Numbers - Impact

Foodborne illnesses are a significant problem in the United States, with massive

impacts on public health and the economy, says Ben Chapman, a food safety
expert and researcher at NC State.
According to a 2012 report from researchers at the Emerging Pathogens

Institute, Resources For the Future, and the U.S. Department of Agricultures
Economic Research Service, foodborne illness is estimated to cost the U.S. more
than $14 billion annually. (The estimate takes into account factors such as
medical costs and productivity losses.)
And a 2011 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC) reported an estimated 9.4 million episodes of foodborne illness each year
in the U.S. from known pathogens. An additional 38.4 million cases are
estimated to come from unspecified or unknown pathogens. In total, foodborne
illnesses are thought to contribute to 48 million illnesses annually resulting in
more than 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths .

Major Pathogens
Campylobacter: Campylobacteris a genus of bacteria, many of which can cause an illness called campylobacteriosis in

humans, with symptoms including diarrhea and abdominal pain. People can contract campylobacteriosis from
undercooked chicken, from cross-contamination via raw chicken, or from drinking unpasteurized milk.
According to the 2012 paper, campylobacteriosis affects 845,000 people annually in the U.S., costing the nation an
estimated $1.747 billion every year and leading to 8,463 hospitalizations.
Listeria monocytogenes: This is a bacterium that causes listeriosis, which is characterized by fever, muscle aches, and
sometimes by gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhea. Listeriosis can be contracted from
an incredibly broad range of foods.
According to the 2012 study, listeriosis costs the U.S. $2.577 billion annually, despite the fact that there are only 1,591
illnesses per year. But 1,455 of those illnesses require hospitalization and 255 result in death.
Norovirus: Noroviruses are the most common cause of foodborne illness in the U.S., affecting an estimated 19-21 million
people each year. Symptoms range from vomiting and diarrhea to fever and headache. Transmission comes from ingesting
infected feces or vomit particles for example, by touching a contaminated surface and then touching food or touching
your mouth.
According to the 2012 study, noroviruses cost the U.S. $2 billion per year, with more than 14,000 hospitalizations and
approximately 150 deaths annually. NC State is a leader in norovirus research, and home to NoroCORE the Norovirus
Collaborative for Outreach, Research, and Education. NoroCORE pulls together norovirus research from 18 institutions,
with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Salmonella enterica: This is one species of the pathogen that has myriad of subspecies and types more than 1,400 of
which are known to cause human illness. Infection with Salmonella species causes salmonellosis, with symptoms including
diarrhea, fever, and cramping. Salmonellosis can be contracted from a variety of sources, ranging from poultry to
peanut butter to mangoes.
According to the 2012 study, the subspecies within S. entericaalone costs the U.S. $3.3 billion each year, causing more than
one million hospitalizations and almost 400 deaths annually.

What I do as Environmental Health Specialist

Restaurant Inspections
TES- Campgrounds, Hotels, B&Bs, Pools
Rabies
Lead
Milk
Soils - Septic and Wells

Food Establishments
Restaurants
Bars
Night Clubs
School Cafeterias
Worksite Cafeterias
Coffee Shops
Concessions
Rental Halls
Catering Kitchens
Private organizations serving the public
Establishments can be fixed, mobile or special transitory.
Retail food stores and food processors, such as grocery stores, convenience stores,

bakeries, meat markets, warehouses, and farm stands, fall under the Virginia
Department of Agriculture (VDACS)

Inspections
http://www.healthspace.com/Clients/VDH/CShena

ndoah/CShenandoah_Website.nsf

Conditions Favorable to Outbreaks

Critical vs Non-Critical . moving to new FDA terms of
Food Law 2012, section 1113(2) states that the terms critical violation and noncritical

violation shall not be used by a regulatory authority to classify violations of the Food Code
after October 1, 2012. The new violation citation terminology established in the FDA 2009
Food Code and defined in the Food Law 2012 is Priority, Priority Foundation, and Core.

MAJOR

FOCUS

Foodborne Illness Risk Factors

Lawrence C. Edwards
(Regional Retail Food Specialist, Central Region FDA)
Food from Unsafe Sources
Inadequate Cooking
Improper Holding Temperatures
Contaminated Equipment/Inadequate Protection of Contamination
Poor Personal Hygiene

Goals of Conducting a FBI

Provide insights into:
Agents
Food

vehicles
Food handling practices
Control illness and prevent future illness via:
Reducing ongoing exposure to the outbreak source
Preventing secondary cases
Promotion of proper food handling practices
among food employees and the public
Regulation

Foodborne Disease Outbreaks, U.S.

National Totals 831 FBDOs

Cases of foodborne illness 14,972

Hospitalizations 794
Deaths 23

Bacterial 17
Listeria monocytogenes 6
Campylobacter 4
STEC 4
Salmonella 2
Clostridium botulinum 1
Mycotoxins 4
Other chemicals/toxins 1
Viral 1 (norovirus)
CDC Surveillance for Foodborne Disease Outbreaks
United States, 2012: Annual Report

Foodborne Disease Outbreaks, U.S. 2012

70% of outbreaks with

a single etiologic agent

29% of outbreaks with
an unknown etiologic
agent
1% of outbreaks with
multiple etiologic
agents
CDC Surveillance for Foodborne Disease Outbreaks
United States, 2012: Annual Report

Virginia FBDO Data, 2008 2012

Vehicles
Identified
(Conf./Sus.)

Year

# FBDOs

Agents
Identified

2008

26

21

6/7

2009

10

3/3

2010

20

16

8/2

2011

19

15

9/3

2012

32

28

20/2

VDH Annual Report, Descriptive Epidemiology of Reportable Diseases and Selected

Maps, Outbreaks, 2008 - 2012

Percent of FBDOs by Etiologic Agent, U.S., 2012

9
41

1
49

Bacteria
Viruses
Chemicals/Toxins
Parasites

CDC Surveillance for Foodborne Disease Outbreaks

United States, 2012: Annual Report

Percent of FBDOs by Etiologic Agent, Virginia, 2012

333
37

53

Viruses
Bacteria
Toxins
Parasites
Unknown agent

VDH Annual Report, Descriptive Epidemiology of Reportable Diseases and

Selected Maps, Outbreaks, 2012

Food

Safe Food Handling Practices

Wash Rinse Sanitize Air Dry Process

Contact Time and Air

Drying are important.

Milk
Milk, as natures most perfect food, is therefore also a

perfect medium in which bacteria can thrive.

Realizing this attribute, many states, Illinois
being one, began to develop laws regarding the
tuberculin testing of dairy herds, and restricting
milk sales to those herds which had been tested.
In 1914 New York City required by law that all milk sold
must be pasteurized. In 1920 the American Public Health
Associations Committee on Milk Supply reported almost
4200 milk plants failed to meet even minimum
milk pasteurization standards.

Milk

Milk
Any guesses at how many gallons
these hold?

Milk

Milk

Milk

Milk

Milk

Why HHST?

http://barfblog.com/
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/

Resources

Your local Health Department Virginia Department of Health

(VDH):
www.vdh.state.va.us/
U. S . Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
www.fda.gov/
Va Tech Food Innovations Program (Dr. Joelle Eifert)
www.ext.vt.edu/topics/food-health/food-innovations/index.html
The Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) FIGHT
BAC theme (non-profit)
www.fightbac.org/
A good one-stop site (private): http
://www.foodsafetytrainingcourses.com/food_safety_training_link
s.html

Questions
Josh DiGennaro
josh.digennaro@vdh.virginia.gov
Environmental Health Specialist
Central Shenandoah Health District
Augusta-Staunton
540.332.7830 ext. 362