An evaluation of the collection and analysis of epidemiological data for support of food safety control systems

Food-borne disease data collected by three U. K. environmental health departments were used in this study. The data were analyzed using a database designed to rank disease agents, food ingredients, and processing factors which contribute to cases of food-borne disease. The results established changes in patterns of food-borne disease over time, pattern differences between U. K. localities and differences between areas of the United Kingdom and the United States. This type of analysis of epidemiological data provides scientific underpinning for hazard analysis critical control point systems for food safety control. The work highlights the need for a consistent procedure for collection of food-borne disease data and for a national database to facilitate analysis.