The Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response, a collaboration between government and the food industry, has created guidelines to assist retailers and restaurants in dealing with outbreaks resulting from foodborne illnesses.
The document outlines what establishments can do to prevent outbreaks from happening and suggests steps for handling affected products as well as communicating with suppliers, customers and employees should an outbreak occur.
“Food safety is core to our principles in the food retail industry, and critical to ensuring the efficacy of our businesses. The CIFOR Industry Guidelines demonstrate collaboration between industry and public health professionals to respond more efficiently to the health needs of consumers,” Food Marketing Institute President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin said in a statement.
CIFOR consists of representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; local and state government agencies; and members of the food industry.
