The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has made major cuts to its Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) surveillance program, citing inadequate funding. As of July 1, the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) program has reduced surveillance to just two pathogens: salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).
Barbara Kowalcyk, Director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University and GFI Faculty shares her expertise. “A lot of the work that I and many, many, many, many other people have put into improving food safety over the past 20 or 30 years is just going away,” she said to NBC News. Kowalcyk’s son died in 2001 of complications from a foodborne E. coli infection, and since then she has advocated for improvements to U.S. food safety policy.
Barbara's insights were also mentioned in Food Safety Magazine. Read more.