Food Protection Trends - May 2009 - 265

of studies were used to estimate the food-related disease burden. England, Wales, and The Netherlands used cohort studies to estimate foodborne disease. In the United States, the CDC launched FoodNet, an active surveillance system which compares survey data to clinical observations, which is designed to help public health officials better understand the epidemiology of foodborne disease. When combined with PulseNet in the United States and internationally, a relatively robust understanding of the foodborne disease burden in developed countries has been established. The World Health Organization (WHO) is taking the lead in trying to develop a better understanding of the disease burden associated with foods in developing countries. In 2002, a WHO consultation recognized that the food safety data for many areas of the world are under represented. This consultation decided that a series of sentinel site countries should be established and the data from these countries used to estimate the rest of the developing world. The first countr y chosen was Jordan, and Salmonella, Shigella, and Brucella were chosen as the first organisms to monitor. Two other WHO-sponsored consultations in 2004 and 2007 were conducted with the objectives of establishing robust methods to facilitate data transfer and establishing standardized methodology for a better understanding of the global burden of food borne disease. While we do not currently know all the facts about the burden of foodborne disease in the developing world, it is clear that food safety and security issues are different in developed and developing countries. Even though there are different challenges in emerging countries, establishment of safe food production, processing, and distribution practices will lead to a more secure food supply. The benefits of improved food safety systems will directly benefit the health of the population of the countr y as well as offer the opportunity for economic development of any natural food resources. No matter where one lives, it is important to remember that basic food safety principles are the same, no matter if you are in an emerging or developed country. Your IAFP Executive Board has worked very hard in the last few years to make IAFP a truly “International” Association. As a result, we are now seeing an increasing number of members and attendees from all over the world to our European Symposium, our International Symposium and our North American Annual Meeting. In addition, some of the IAFP Foundation sponsored student travel scholarships are targeted to students from outside of North America and specifically for students from developing countries. It is clear to me that among the many strong points of IAFP, our members are clearly our best resource. The strength and knowledge that we all gain by the exposure to scientists and students with a wide diversity of experiences will make all of us better prepared to face the challenges that we will surely face in the future. As always, I welcome your comments or feedback. Please E-mail me at stan.bailey@na.biomerieux.com. Please join us in Grapevine, Texas for the IAFP 96th Annual Meeting on July 12–15, 2009. MAY 2009 | FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS 265

Food Protection Trends - May 2009

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