Source:  Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 7/16/09

The Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR) on Wednesday issued new guidelines for local, state and federal agencies to provide model practices to be used for foodborne disease outbreaks, including planning, detection, investigation, control and prevention.

The guidelines are intended to give all agencies a common foundation from which to work and to provide examples of the key activities that should occur during the response to outbreaks of foodborne disease, CIFOR explained on its Web site. The guidelines are not intended to replace current procedure manuals for responding to outbreaks.

CIFOR is a multidisciplinary partnership organized to increase collaboration among food safety officials at all levels of government and in all areas of the country with the ultimate goal of reducing the burden of foodborne illness in the United States.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius praised CIFOR's work. The guidelines can be accessed at cifor.us. 

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