Which agency leads national food safety and epidemiologic activities, linking human illness with the food safety system?

• A. FDA
• B. EPA
• C. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• D. United States Department of Agriculture

Answer: (C)

Leading national food safety epidemiology means coordinating disease surveillance, investigating outbreaks, and connecting human illness data to the food safety system. This is the role of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC runs national surveillance for foodborne illness, supports state health departments, and partners with FDA and USDA to trace outbreaks to specific foods or producers. Through networks like FoodNet and PulseNet, CDC collects and analyzes human illness data, identifies outbreaks, and helps prevent future cases by informing regulatory actions and preventive measures. The FDA regulates most foods and sets safety standards, USDA oversees meat, poultry, and eggs, and the EPA handles environmental health and pesticides, but the central epidemiologic leadership and linking function reside with the CDC.