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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Robin Lee, MPH, Vince Radke, MPH, RS, Daniela Niutta, MPH, Carol Selman, and EHS-Net Working Group. EHSB, National Center for Environmental Health - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford HWY NE, MS F-28, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717, (770) 488-4180, RPL5@cdc.gov
The Environmental Health Specialists Network (EHS-Net) uses a systems-based approach to evaluate factors that contribute to foodborne disease. The application of this approach in assessing food handling provides a more efficient means of documenting the incidence of disease-related risk factors (DRRFs) than does the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Retail Food Program Database of Foodborne Illness Risk Factors. For example EHS-Net observes a larger percentage of DRRFs than FDA reports for poor personal hygiene such as improper, inadequate hand washing and prevention of hand contamination in full-service restaurants. Knowledge of foodborne DRRFs, such as inadequate cooking and poor personal hygiene among employees, is necessary to reduce the potential for foodborne illness in restaurants.
The FDA approach identifies DRRFs for the operation as a whole at one point in time, providing a general understanding of DRRFs visible at the time of inspection. The EHS-net approach focuses on food preparation reviews or FoodFlows of selected menu items. During each FoodFlow step, evaluators observe potential DRRFs, which might not have been documented if no menu item had been prepared during assessment. FoodFlows also provide the opportunity for a focused questioning of food handlers about the preparation procedures for a specific item.
Documentation of DRRFs by the FoodFlow provides observers with an opportunity for increased awareness of potential health risks and the ability to relate information that can reduce DRRFs. The EHS-Net focus on a systems-based approach provides a comprehensive method for observing DRRFs, necessary to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness in restaurants.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Food Safety, Environmental Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.