IFSAC Releases Annual Report for 2021 on Sources of Foodborne Illness

The Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration’s (IFSAC) — a collaboration between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) — has published its newest annual report, “Foodborne illness source attribution estimates for Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157, and Listeria monocytogenes – United States, 2021.”

The group was established in 2011 to improve coordination of federal food safety analytic efforts and address cross-cutting priorities for food safety data collection, analysis and use.

IFSAC analyzes foodborne illness outbreak data for priority pathogens and specific foods and food categories responsible for foodborne illnesses in the United States. The data are analyzed by calendar year and released in annual reports as part of ongoing efforts to understand sources of foodborne illness in the United States. The CDC estimates that, together, these priority pathogens — Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157, Campylobacter, and Listeria monocytogenes — cause nearly two million cases of foodborne illnesses in the U.S. each year.

The updated estimates, combined with other data, may help shape agencies’ priorities and inform the creation of targeted interventions that may help reduce foodborne illnesses caused by these pathogens. These estimates also inform stakeholders and improve IFSAC’s ability to assess whether prevention measures are working.

For more information, visit IFSAC projects or email IFSAC@fda.hhs.gov.