(photo cred KHC stock image)
It’s the highest number of total investigations compared to the past 12 years—but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb says that’s not necessarily because more food has suddenly become “unsafe.”
“I think what’s happening is that we have better technology than ever before to link outbreaks of human illness to a common pathogen,” Gottlieb told CNN.
The CDC identifies an outbreak by using public health surveillance methods like PulseNet that test and detect foodborne illnesses in sick people. CNN reports that the agency can then link the identified pathogens back to a specific food source.
The CDC has also expanded their reach by informing the public of an investigation with updated posts on their website, as well as on Facebook and Twitter.
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