Skip to main content
          Skip to FDA Search
          Skip to in this section menu
          Skip to footer links


U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government

					Here’s how you know
          			Dot gov**The .gov means it’s official.**Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.
							      SSL**The site is secure.** The **https://** ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. 
			U.S. Food and Drug Administration
				
        Search
            Menu
							
						Search FDA
									
									Submit search 
		Featured
							Contact FDA
	                FDA Guidance Documents
	                Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts
	                Press Announcements
	                Warning Letters
	                Advisory Committees
	                En Español

					Products
            Food
							Drugs
							Medical Devices
							Radiation-Emitting Products
							Vaccines, Blood, and Biologics
							Animal and Veterinary
							Cosmetics
							Tobacco ProductsTopics
            About FDA
							Combination Products
							Regulatory Information
							Safety
							Emergency Preparedness
							International Programs
							News and Events
							Training and Continuing Education
							Inspections and Compliance
							Science and ResearchInformation For
            Consumers
	            Patients
	            Industry
	            Health Professionals
	            Federal, State and Local Officials 
 In this section:

                New Era of Smarter Food Safety

New Era of Smarter Food Safety

                        New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint
          New Era of Smarter Food Safety Activities
          New Era of Smarter Food Safety Frequently Asked Questions
          Tech-Enabled Traceability - Core Element 1 of the New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint
          Smarter Tools and Approaches for Prevention and Outbreak Response - Core Element 2 of the New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint
          New Business Models and Retail Modernization - Core Element 3 of the New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint
          Food Safety Culture - Core Element 4 of the New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint
          New Era of Smarter Food Safety Management Team


                        New Era of Smarter Food Safety TechTalk Podcast Home
          Food
          New Era of Smarter Food Safety
          Prevention Strategies to Enhance Food SafetyNew Era of Smarter Food Safety Prevention Strategies to Enhance Food Safety
  
  	
    Share
    Post
    Linkedin

    Email
    PrintFDA’s Foodborne Outbreak Response Improvement Plan

When certain disease-causing bacteria or pathogens contaminate food, they can lead to outbreaks of foodborne illness that can result in severe illnesses or even death.

The FDA is responsible for overseeing the safety of the U.S. food supply. When a foodborne illness outbreak occurs, the FDA, through its Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation (CORE) Network, and federal, state, local, territorial tribal, and international public health partners work together to determine what food may have caused the outbreak and how it became contaminated. After the outbreak investigation ends, the information learned, along with historical outbreak and other scientific data, can contribute to the development of a targeted prevention strategy for that food.

A prevention strategy is an affirmative, deliberate approach undertaken by the FDA and stakeholders to help limit or prevent future outbreaks linked to certain FDA-regulated foods. The strategies take from the lessons learned from larger initiatives like the Leafy Green STEC Action Plan, while establishing a scalable approach that can be utilized more frequently. The prevention strategies examine commodity-hazard pairings, potential sources and routes of contamination, and what can be done to reduce incidences of foodborne illness in the future. They also identify existing knowledge gaps and needed areas of focus to inform and promote research and engagement with external stakeholders on steps that can be taken, collaboratively, to protect public health and prevent future outbreaks.

These strategies build on the foundational work established by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and the FDA Strategy for the Safety of Imported Food, while leveraging data enhancements and modern approaches included in FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety. They also advance the goals set forth in FDA’s Foodborne Outbreak Response Improvement Plan.

As part of this strategy development process, FDA food safety experts engage with industry, state, international and other partners to:

Review outbreak trends associated with certain commodities.
	Explore environmental factors that may contribute to contamination in various locations, such as facilities or in more open landscapes like farms.
	Review issues related to specific foodborne hazards to identify potential mitigation measures or knowledge gaps.
	Review regulations to identify provisions that may be strengthened.
	Identify prevention measures that can be taken to reduce future incidences of foodborne illness.
	Identify knowledge gaps to expand our understanding of food safety issues and limit recurrences of underlying root causes responsible for an outbreak or adverse event.Collaboration is critical for food safety success and the prevention of foodborne illness. This page is designed to share the latest information on the FDA’s prevention strategies.

Prevention Strategy Documents

Prevention Strategy
			Date Posted
			FDA Strategy Summary
			Additional ResourcesSoft Fresh Queso Fresco-Type Cheese
			March 2023
			Soft Fresh Queso Fresco-Type Cheese Strategy
			Resources for the Control of Listeria monocytogenes for Manufacturers of Soft Fresh Queso Fresco-type CheesesImported Enoki and Wood Ear Mushrooms
			September 2022
			Imported Enoki and Wood Ear Mushroom Strategy
			FDA issues country wide import alert for Enoki Mushrooms from RoK

			Outbreak investigation (March 2020)

			Outbreak investigation (September 2020)Bulb Onions
			July 2022
			Bulb Onion Strategy
			Factors Potentially Contributing to the Contamination of Red Onions Implicated in the Summer 2020 Outbreak of Salmonella NewportPowdered Infant Formula
			November 2022
			Powdered Infant Formula Strategy Outline
			FDA Investigation of *Cronobacter* Infections: Powdered Infant Formula (February 2022)

						Abbott Voluntarily Recalls Powder Formulas Manufactured at One Plant

For questions or more information on FDA’s Prevention Strategies, contact FoodSafetyPreventionStrategies@fda.hhs.gov.

Additional Information

FDA Letter Calling for Enhanced Safety Measures to the Powdered Infant Formula Industry (Table of Actions) March 2023
	FDA Voices: FDA Releases New, Prevention Strategies to Enhance Food Safety

                                                                                  Content current as of:
      03/28/2023
              
              
Regulated Product(s)
		 Food & BeveragesNew Era of Smarter Food Safety

          
                        New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint
          New Era of Smarter Food Safety Activities
          New Era of Smarter Food Safety Frequently Asked Questions
          Core Element 1: Tech-Enabled Traceability
          Core Element 2: Smarter Prevention and Outbreak Response
          Core Element 3: New Business Models and Retail Modernization
          Core Element 4: Food Safety Culture
          New Era of Smarter Food Safety Management Team


                        New Era of Smarter Food Safety TechTalk Podcast
 
 Footer Links
    FDA Archive
          About FDA
          Accessibility
      Visitor Information
          Website Policies / Privacy
          No FEAR Act
          Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
      FOIA
          HHS.gov
          USA.gov
    Contact FDA
      Follow FDA on Facebook
      Follow FDA on X
      Follow FDA on Instagram
      Follow FDA on LinkedIn
      View FDA videos on YouTube
      Subscribe to FDA RSS feeds
    FDA Homepage
    Contact Number
      1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332) Back toTop