Foods associated with food-borne illness outbreaks from 1990 through 2003

TLDR

Identifying the contaminated food and pathogen is essential for tracing outbreaks to their source and enabling intervention. CSPI compiles a foodborne outbreak database from CDC, state health departments, and journals, categorizing events by food vehicle. From 1990 to 2003, seafood, produce, poultry, beef, and eggs were the most frequently linked foods, with multi‑ingredient items such as pizza and sandwiches also implicated; overall 27 % of outbreaks involved meats, 66 % involved other foods, and 7 % involved multiple vehicles, underscoring the value of consistent food categorization for consumer safety and policy.

Abstract

SUMMARY Critical to the understanding of foodborne illness outbreaks is the identification of both the contaminated food item and the responsible pathogen, allowing traceback to the original source of contamination and subsequent intervention. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) maintains a database of foodborne illness outbreaks categorized by food vehicle, compiled from sources including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state health departments, and scientific journals. Between 1990 and 2003, the foods most commonly linked to outbreaks with identified vehicles were seafood (n = 899), produce (n = 554), poultry (n = 476), beef (n = 438), and eggs (n = 329). Multi-ingredient foods, including pizza and sandwiches, were linked to 812 outbreaks. Overall, 27% (1229/ 4486) of the outbreaks were attributed to meats, including beef, poultry, pork, and luncheon meats, while 66% (2954/4486) of outbreaks were linked to other food items. Seven percent (303/4486) were linked to multiple food vehicles. Our findings demonstrate the value of routinely linking outbreaks to specific foods and illustrate the importance of using a consistent, common-sense food categorization scheme for all food safety stakeholders. Food attribution and categorization allow consumers to more readily assess food safety hazards and provide better information on which to base policy decisions.