FDA forges new outbreak response team

ROCKVILLE, MD. — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports it built a new network of epidemiologists and other public-health experts to improve response to human and animal foodborne illness outbreaks.

Called the Coordinated Response and Evaluation (CORE) Network, the team is made up of epidemiologists, veterinarians, microbiologists and others who focus on outbreak prevention and response.

The network will work closely with other government agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and state public health and agricultural agencies.

"The CORE Network builds on the best practices FDA has already implemented in its outbreak response efforts," reports Mike Taylor, FDA's deputy commissioner of foods. "And, in keeping with the reforms of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, CORE activities will learn from outbreaks to develop preventive systems in an effort to reduce them."

Officials say the network was not created to replace existing programs at CDC, but help officials move faster. Dr. Kathleen F. Gensheimer was named director of the new network.