Federal agencies sign Memorandum of Understanding to leverage expertise during foodborne outbreak investigations
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will provide a more comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to address foodborne health hazards associated with meat, poultry and processed egg products.
The MOU is part of the One Health initiative, a concept that inextricably links the health of humans, animals and the environment. It embraces the idea that a disease impacting the health of humans, animals and the environment can be best solved through improved communication, cooperation and collaboration across disciplines and institutions. “The FSIS investigation process identifies health hazards in meat and poultry products, and this agreement leverages the expertise of personnel from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to complement that process,” said FSIS Administrator Al Almanza.