UMass Nutrition

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Food Safety and Sanitation: Government Agencies

  • Gateway to Government Food Safety Information http://www.foodsafety.gov Site provides links to several government agencies dealing with food safety issues. Also provides consumer materials using the FightBac campaign, food safety fact sheets, and safe food handling tips. Food safety alerts and information regarding hoaxes and rumors are also provided. Resources for National Food Safety Education Month campaign found in “Other Topics.”
  • FDA Food Code http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodcode.html This site provides a model to assist with food control jurisdictions at all levels of government. The model provides a sound basis for regulating retail and foodservice industries, and may be used as a reference for best practices in food borne illness prevention. Site contains a downloadable 2001 Food Code with a 2003 Supplement and Errata Sheet.
  • Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) www.cdc.gov/foodsafety  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention seeks to accomplish its mission by working with partners throughout the nation and world to monitor health; detect and investigate health problems; conduct research to enhance prevention; develop and advocate sound public health policies; implement prevention strategies and programs; promote healthy behaviors; foster safe and healthful environments; and provide leadership and training. The mission of the CDC’s Food Safety Office is to lead Food Safety programs to prevent illness, disability, and death due to domestic and imported food borne illness.
  • Centers For Disease Control and Prevention: Public Health Partners http://www.cdc.gov/other.htm This website informs others of the resources that CDC uses as well as other information networks. It also offers the websites and links of CDC’s Public Health Partners and the websites of all local and state Health Departments.
  • CDC: Morbidity And Mortality Weekly Report  http://www.cdc.gov/epo/mmwr/ The purpose of this website is to provide information on morbidity and mortality: the trends across the world and U.S.; information on disease states; and the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. It contains data on specific disease as reported by state and territorial health departments and reports on infectious and chronic diseases, environmental hazards, natural or human-generated disasters, occupational diseases and injuries, and intentional or unintentional injuries. There is also information on topics of international interest and notices of interest to the public.
  • CDC: Emerging Infectious Diseases http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/index.htm This site consists of a peer reviewed journal tracking and analyzing disease trends. It recognizes new and reemerging infections and provides an understanding of factors involved in disease emergence, prevention, and elimination, including food borne illness. Emerging Infectious Diseases is a journal established expressly to promote the recognition of new and reemerging infectious diseases around the world and improve the understanding of factors involved in disease emergence, prevention, and elimination.
  • CDC: Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response  http://www.bt.cdc.gov The purpose of this website is to provide information to the general public on how to stay safe in disaster situations. These may range from natural disasters such as fires, hurricanes, and floods; to chemical agents, diseases, and other threats. The site informs people as to how to prevent these situations, what to do in the case of an incident, and how to deal with it after something has happened.
  • Recall and Safety Alerts http://www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.html FDA resource site, this site provides the most up-to-date information on recalls, seizures, court actions, and alerts on foods and drugs. These recalls outline risks as they relate to food allergies, contamination, labeling, undeclared ingredients, health risks, etc. Links to associated issues are available.
  • Recall Information: USDA Meat and Poultry http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/news/xrecalls.htm  The purpose of this website is to inform the public of inspection and recall services of meat and poultry within the U.S. It also explains the terminology, responsibilities, and public notification procedures regarding the voluntary recall of inspected meat and poultry products.
  • Food Safety Materials for Children and Students http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/educate.html FDA resource site of links for teaching and support materials related to food safety. Materials including games, music, puzzles, quizzes and activities are offered at the elementary through high school levels. Includes educator’s links.
  • The Bad Bug Book http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/intro.html “The Bad Bug Book” is a resource for teaching general information on food borne pathogenic microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, parasites and natural toxins. This book provides basic facts regarding organisms and toxins including: characteristics, habitat or source, associated foods, infective dose, disease symptoms, complications, and recent/major outbreaks. “The Bad Bug Book” may be downloaded in its entirety at no charge.
  • Other Language Documents http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/language.html This site lists links for food safety documents in other languages. It also contains links to international activities including: bio-terrorism, food additives/labeling, food safety, imports and exports, inspections, and contaminants.
  • Food Safety and Inspection Service Food Safety Publications http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/index.asp The purpose of this website is to inform the public of food safety by safe handling of food, safe cooking procedures, food borne illness, and food safety for different groups of people (i.e., children, elderly, pregnant, foodservice workers, etc). It thoroughly reviews every kind of meat or poultry and gives safe handling practices from storing to preparing.
  • Food Safety Educator Newsletter http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/food_safety_educator/index.asp Provides free quarterly newsletter reports of new food safety educational programs and materials as well as emerging science concerning food safety risks. Each newsletter contains different topics ranging from food safety in general to food borne illness to pregnant women.





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