Introduction: Outbreak surveillance data are often used to determine the common sources of foodborne illnesses. One question associated with this use of outbreak data is whether the foods implicated in outbreaks mirror the most common food exposures in the population or are foods associated with higher risks. We investigated whether the types of foods implicated in outbreaks reported to CDC’s Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System (FDOSS) were also those ingested most commonly as reported by participants in the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare foods implicated in outbreaks with those reported in a nationally-representative survey to determine if some food commodities are relatively more likely to be implicated in outbreaks.
Methods: We matched foods implicated in outbreaks from 2005 through 2010 to those reportedly consumed by NHANES participants using 24-hour dietary recall. FDOSS food commodity categories were used to compare foods in both databases. Analyses were restricted to foods; non-dairy beverages, condiments, and sweeteners were excluded.
Results: During 2005-2010, 1014 foods were implicated in 2828 outbreaks. Among these, 951 (94%) were also foods reportedly consumed by NHANES respondents. Higher proportions of foods implicated in foodborne disease outbreaks belonged to beef (7%), fish (8%), and mollusk (3%) commodities compared with the proportions in meals consumed by NHANES study participants (4%, 1%, and <1%, respectively). In contrast, lower proportions of outbreaks implicated foods in the fruits-nuts (4%) and grains-beans (3%) commodities compared with the proportions in meals reported by NHANES participants (6% and 8%, respectively).
Significance: The results of this study suggest that beef, fish, and mollusks may be more frequently implicated in foodborne disease outbreaks relative to their reported frequency of consumption. This information can be used to target prevention efforts toward riskier food commodities.