Root cause analysis: what is it and how is it being used in the food safety world?  Root cause analysis is an application of the broader field of systems analysis. Systems analysis is the process of understanding all aspects of a problem, in order to fully address the problem. The root causes are the underlying reasons for a problem. HACCP is another application of systems analysis as a problem prevention approach. The term root cause analysis is being used more often in the context of food safety, but it likely has many different meanings depending on who and where it is spoken of. This symposium will explore the use of root cause analysis in the food safety world and discuss the need to harmonize the meaning, to mitigate confusion about the term and improve application of the approach. Three speakers representing outbreak investigations, industry, and regulatory programs will describe what the term means to them and how they apply it.

Presentations