IFSAC Releases Annual Report on the Sources of Foodborne Illness for 2020

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration’s (IFSAC) newest annual report, “Foodborne illness source attribution estimates for 2020 for Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157 and Listeria monocytogenes using multi-year outbreak surveillance data, United States,” is now available.

IFSAC analyzes foodborne illness outbreak data for priority pathogens and specific foods and food categories that are responsible for foodborne illnesses in the United States. The data are analyzed by calendar year and released in an annual report as part of ongoing efforts to understand sources of foodborne illness in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that, together, these priority pathogens — Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157, Campylobacter and Listeria monocytogenes — cause nearly two million cases of foodborne illnesses in the U.S. each year.

Unlike prior IFSAC Annual Reports, attribution estimates for Campylobacter are not presented in this year’s report. Evidence suggests the sources of Campylobacter outbreaks likely differ considerably from the sources of non-outbreak-associated illnesses caused by this pathogen. IFSAC is exploring alternative approaches for estimating the sources of Campylobacter illnesses.

The updated estimates, combined with other data, can help shape the priorities of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and inform the creation of targeted interventions to reduce foodborne illnesses caused by these pathogens. These estimates also inform stakeholders and improve our ability to assess whether prevention measures are working.