WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (F.S.I.S.) will host a joint public workshop on how best to measure progress in reducing foodborne illnesses on March 30 in Washington.

The workshop will focus on current methods for evaluating food safety progress, the methodologic and data challenges involved, and the potential for improved metrics. In addition, it will include explanations by the C.D.C. of how rates of foodborne illness are estimated for various purposes. The F.D.A., the F.S.I.S., and a state representative will describe other measurements used to gauge the success of policies and other interventions for reducing foodborne illness.


“Being able to draw links between what we’re doing to keep the food supply safe and the frequency of human illness is crucial for gauging the effectiveness of our programs — what changes are needed, and in what areas,” said Michael Taylor, deputy commissioner for foods at the F.D.A.
For more information on the workshop visitwww.fda.gov.