Colorado State University Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network
Go to Table of Contents for this issue
Foodborne Illness Rates Increase in Schools
Edited by: Mary Schroeder, M.S., R.D. & Pat Kendall, Ph.D., R.D., Colorado State - Fall 2002
A recent report from the General Accounting Office (GAO) found that school-related foodborne illness has been increasing at a rate of 10% a year from 1990 - 1999. This finding is in contrast to the reported overall decline in the incidence of foodborne illness around the country since 1996. (See Spring 2002 issue.)
More than 27 million children receive low-cost or free meals daily through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs administered by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service. Between 1990 and 1999, nearly 300 outbreaks of foodborne illness occurred in schools affecting 16,000 children. Such outbreaks are of particular concern because of children's vulnerability to harmful pathogens.
GAO could not determine the extent to which foods served in the school meal programs caused reported outbreaks because CDC's data also include outbreaks that are attributable to foods brought from home or other sources. Data from 20 large school outbreaks in 1998 and 1999 showed, however, that the majority of the outbreaks in those years were caused by foods served through the school meal programs. The most commonly identified causes were foods contaminated with Salmonella and Norwalk-like viruses.
CDC emphasizes that improved data collection, more thorough investigations and greater public awareness might account for much of the increased number of reported outbreaks. GAO noted, however, that even after accounting for CDC's more active surveillance approach, the increase in outbreaks generally averaged 10% per year.
The April 30, 2002 report Food Safety: Continued Vigilance Needed to Ensure Safety of School Meals, GAO-02-669T, can be found on-line at www.gao.gov/new.items/d02669t.pdf School food safety information can also be found at a new website (www.foodsafeschools.org/), developed by the National Coalition for Food Safe Schools (NCFSS). NCFSS's goal for the site is to serve as a one-stop gateway to a wealth of web-based school food safety information and resources specifically targeting school administrators, food service professionals and nurses, as well as parents, students, teachers and local health and cooperative extension agency staff.
Source: EdNet, May 2002, Cornell Food and Nutrition DNS Alert-Food Safety, May'June 2002; GAO-02-669T Report: Food Safety: Continued Vigilance Needed to Ensure Safety of School Meals, 4/30/2002. 