Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR)

The Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR), funded primarily by CDC, consists of national associations and federal agencies working together to improve methods to investigate, control, and prevent foodborne disease outbreaks. Member organizations represent epidemiology programs, environmental health programs, public health laboratories, and regulatory agencies involved in foodborne disease surveillance and outbreak response. The food industry is represented on the CIFOR Industry Workgroup.

The Council identifies barriers to rapid detection and response to foodborne disease outbreaks and develops projects that address these barriers. Some of the Council’s products include these resources:

• Guidelines for Foodborne Disease Outbreak Response and its associated Toolkit. The guidelines describe the overall approach to foodborne disease outbreaks and the toolkit aids in implementing the guidelines.
• Lab-Epi Integrated Reporting Software. – This software promotes structured reporting of laboratory data to foodborne disease programs to help detect clusters faster.
• Guidelines for Owners, Operators, and Managers of Food Establishments. These guidelines help outline, clarify, and explain the recommended role of industry in foodborne disease outbreak investigations.
• Metrics Project. Target ranges for 16 metrics help agencies measure their performance and effectiveness for foodborne disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, and control activities.
• Law Project. Tools help agencies improve their legal preparedness to conduct surveillance for foodborne diseases and respond to outbreaks.