Voluntary Customer Feedback Survey: Foodborne Illness Outbreak Investigation

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE (FSIS)

Voluntary Customer Feedback Survey:

Foodborne Illness Outbreak Investigation

Dear Public Health and Food Safety Partner,

We are seeking feedback from state public health and food safety agencies to identify opportunities to strengthen collaborative responses to foodborne illness outbreaks. Thank you for taking the time to provide us your input.

Communication and Coordination with FSIS

1. Please indicate the frequency with which your agency notifies FSIS when evidence suggests a potential association between a foodborne illness outbreak and an FSIS-regulated product (meat, poultry, or processed egg products)?

X--------------X--------------X--------------X--------------X

Never Rarely Sometimes Very Often Always

(If always, skip Question 2)

2. Please indicate the primary reasons that your agency may not always notify FSIS when evidence suggests a potential association between a foodborne illness outbreak and an FSIS-regulated product (meat, poultry, and processed egg products). Check all that apply.

   1. We are not aware of a contact at FSIS to notify

   2. FSIS jurisdiction is not always clear

3. We report outbreaks to CDC; we assume CDC

will notify FSIS, if needed

4. Another agency in my state is responsible for notifying FSIS

(Please list agency)

5. Other (please specify)

3. Please assess the quality of the following aspects of communication/coordination with/from FSIS during foodborne illness outbreaks:

	Very Poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Very Good
Overall communication/coordination between FSIS and your agency
Information sharing by FSIS during investigations
Guidance from FSIS regarding epidemiologic and exposure information that FSIS needs during an investigation
Guidance from FSIS regarding traceback information that FSIS needs during an investigation
Guidance from FSIS regarding product testing and chain-of-custody to ensure acceptance of results by FSIS
Opportunities to interact with FSIS personnel outside the context of foodborne illness outbreak investigations

4. Is communicating/coordinating with FSIS described in your agency’s written procedures for responding to foodborne illness outbreaks?

1. Yes

2. No

3. My agency does not have written procedures for

responding to foodborne illness outbreaks

4. Don’t Know

1. Please mark the response that best represents your familiarity with the following resources (before you took this survey):

Resource	Did not know that it existed	Knew that it existed but had not reviewed it	Have reviewed it and have a general awareness of the content	Have a functional knowledge of how my agency can use the content during responses
FSIS Directive 8080.3, Foodborne Illness Investigations
The webpage FSIS Resources for Public Health Partners
The webpage Information Helpful to FSIS During Foodborne Illness Investigations
FSIS Notice 45-16, Sharing Information with Partners
FSIS General Foodborne Illness Reporting email address, [email protected]

6. Please mark the response that best represents your familiarity with the following FSIS functions/activities relating to foodborne illness outbreak investigations.

Function or activity	Little to No Familiarity	Slight Familiarity	Moderate Familiarity	Strong Familiarity	Very Strong Familiarity
FSIS overall
Epidemiology
Product sampling, analysis, and laboratory services
Consumer complaint investigation
Retail or in-commerce investigation (traceback and traceforward)
Product recall procedures
Establishment inspection
Food defense and emergency response
Public information releases, including public health alerts and recall press releases

7. Please identify the following topics about which your agency would like more information regarding FSIS procedures during foodborne illness outbreak investigations.

Foodborne illness outbreak response coordination

Foodborne illness–related investigation of establishments

Sampling and analysis of products

Assessment and use of results from non-FSIS (e.g. state) laboratories

Traceback and traceforward investigations

Product recalls

Information sharing with partners during investigations

Post-investigative process/policy improvement activities, such as hot-washes and after-action reviews

Antimicrobial resistance

Public information releases/distribution; media inquiries/responses; communication with state/congressional representatives

Consumer complaint investigations

Other (please specify):

8. Please identify your agency’s primary point(s) of contact in FSIS regarding foodborne illness outbreaks.

1. First and Last Name of FSIS Contact 1

2. First and Last Name of FSIS Contact 2

3. First and Last Name of FSIS Contact 3

4. I do not know my agency’s primary contact(s) in FSIS

Shopper Card Use

9. During foodborne illness outbreak investigations, does your agency routinely collect shopper card numbers from case-patients to request shopper purchase histories from retail stores/companies?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

(If No or Don’t Know, skip question 10)

10. Do any retail stores/companies in your state require signed releases from the owner of the shopper card before releasing shopper purchase histories?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

If known, which retail stores/companies require signed releases?

11. Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. Please provide any additional general or specific comments, suggestions, or recommendations regarding communication and coordination with FSIS on foodborne illness outbreaks.

If you have any comments or questions specific to completing this survey, please contact Yolanda Kennedy-Edwards at [email protected].

If you have any comments or questions regarding working with FSIS, please contact [email protected].

Please visit our partnership webpages:

Resources for Public Health Partners: Foodborne Illness Investigation http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/audience-public-health/resources-for

Information Helpful to FSIS During Foodborne Illness Investigations

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/audience-public-health/info-for-fsis-investigations