Procedures to Investigate Foodborne Illness

Procedures to Investigate Foodborne Illness is designed to guide public health personnel or teams in any country that investigates reports of alleged foodborne illnesses. The  manual is based on epidemiologic principles and investigative techniques that have been found effective in determining causal factors of disease incidence. The guidelines are presented in the sequence usually followed during investigations and are organized so that an investigator can easily find the information needed in any phase of an investigation. Included are descriptions of the following procedures:

Plan, prepare, investigate and respond to intentional contamination of food

Handle illness alerts and food-related complaints that may be related to illness

Interview ill persons, those at risk, and controls

Develop a case definition

Collect and ship specimens and food samples

Conduct hazard analysis (environmental assessments) at sites where foods responsible for outbreaks were produced, processed, or prepared

Trace sources of contamination

Identify factors responsible for contamination, survival of pathogenic microorganisms or toxic substances, and/or propagation of pathogens

Collate and interpret collected data

Report information about the outbreak





This edition also contains extensively updated and more user-friendly keys to assist investigators in identifying the contributing factors that may lead to the contamination, proliferation or survival of agents of foodborne disease. 

The International Association for Food Protection is a non-profit association of food safety professionals. Dedicated to the life-long educational needs of its Members, IAFP provides Members with an information network through its two scientific journals (Food Protection Trends and Journal of Food Protection), its educational Annual Meeting, international meetings and symposia along with international interaction between food safety professionals.

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