Lab Matters Winter 2024 | Page 27

FOOD SAFETY

By Allison Gennety , specialist , Food Safety

Bacterial contamination in food provides a constant reminder of the critical role public health laboratories have in protecting the safety of the nation ’ s food supply . However , foodborne illness is not always caused by the typical enteric pathogens , such as Salmonella or Listeria . Cronobacter species are bacterial pathogens that can be found throughout the environment , from soil to kitchen sinks , and sometimes find their way into food . An opportunistic pathogen , Cronobacter , is particularly dangerous to children under 12 months , and infections can lead to meningitis and sepsis . In 2022 , an incident occurred that brought national attention to Cronobacter contamination in powdered infant formula , after which a US Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) investigation resulted in a large voluntary recall of formula from one manufacturer ’ s plant .

A Position Statement is Submitted

Due to this high-profile event , the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists ( CSTE ) worked with various partners , including public health laboratories , to write a position statement to add Cronobacter to the list of Nationally Notifiable Conditions . This position statement is an important step forward in strengthening the ability of public health professionals to detect and control Cronobacter contamination events .

Additional work is necessary to raise awareness of this pathogen and facilitate actions to better help with testing and surveillance of Cronobacter illnesses .

With support from APHL and CSTE , a collaborative workgroup was born out of the position statement with the goal of creating guidance documents on how to handle Cronobacter cases and included key partners and subject matter experts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ), FDA , clinical and public health laboratories and epidemiologists . The guidance documents provide a framework for public health to work within and include information on sample collection , transportation time , where to send isolates and the use of whole genome sequencing to aid in Cronobacter surveillance . This multidisciplinary collaboration ensured that the new guidance , which was released to the public in June , is practical for a range of public health settings , from laboratory to epidemiologists , while also including the latest information on Cronobacter control and testing .

A Framework for Future Unified Health Collaborations

The development of these guidance documents is a testament to the power of coordinated action by public health . The joint efforts of these public health partners create a foundation to improve the detection and surveillance of Cronobacter and strengthens public health preparedness and response as a whole . The success of this group shows the importance of cross-agency collaboration for addressing emerging food safety threats and can serve as a blueprint for future projects . By working together , a unified health response can continue to protect vulnerable populations and food safety . g