Collaborative Food Safety Forum

Enhancing Early Outbreak Investigations

The Supply Chain Consultation Process 

Beginning in December of 2012, the CFSF turned its attention to enhancing early outbreak investigations. The resultant tool, the Supply Chain Consultation Process, outlines protocols for early hypothesis development during a foodborne illness event and for more efficient information exchange among government agencies and the private sector with the goal of more rapidly narrowing hypotheses, faster identification of the cause, and quicker intervention. 

The Supply Chain Consultation Process was piloted over a six month period. During this period, the process was used three times. Users from the public and private sectors felt the process worked effectively in facilitating information exchange, including the more rapid identification of an outbreak associated with cucumbers through information provided on growing conditions and harvest patterns. Based on their feedback, the protocols were slightly fine-tuned and enthusiasm was expressed for continued use.

Supply Chain Consultation Process Draft with attachment

Supply Chain Consultation Process Map 

Supply Chain Consultation Process Overview Brief 

Supply Chain Consultation Process Post-Pilot Brief

The Supply Chain Consultation Process was developed by CFSF participants over a fourteen-month period, including the pilot. The following workshop summaries provide additional information about its development.

 

Enhancing Early Outbreak Investigations Workshop I: Information-sharing and Response

The first CFSF workshop in this series was held December 11, 2012 at The Pew Charitable Trusts in Washington, DC. This forum focused on enhancing early outbreak investigations through information-sharing and response.

Workshop Summary

Participants

 

Enhancing Early Outbreak Investigations Workshop II: Information-sharing and Response Small Group Meeting

The second workshop in this series was held January 16, 2013 at The Pew Charitable Trusts in Washington, DC. This forum included a multi-sector small group composed of participants from the December 11, 2012 meeting. The group took the input from the December meeting and crafted a straw proposal for the information-sharing process to be reviewed and discussed by the larger group.

 

Enhancing Early Outbreak Investigations Workshop III: Consultation Process

The third workshop was held on February 27, 2013 at The Pew Charitable Trusts in Washington, DC. Meeting participants reviewed and discussed the straw proposal for the information-sharing process developed by the small group.

 

Enhancing Early Outbreak Investigations Workshop IV: Supply Chain Consultation Process

On January 9th, 2014, representatives from federal and state agencies, industry, consumer advocacy groups, and associations attended a workshop at RESOLVE’s offices in Washington, DC. Meeting participants continued discussions of the proposed process resulting from the Jan. 16, 2013 and the February 27, 2013 sessions and determined a process for piloting the tool.

Workshop Summary