Which agency leads the national effort to prevent foodborne illness by linking illness data to the food safety system?

• A. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• B. Food and Drug Administration
• C. United States Department of Agriculture
• D. Environmental Protection Agency

Answer: (A)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the leader in connecting illness data to the food safety system to prevent foodborne illness. This agency coordinates national surveillance that tracks illnesses caused by foodborne pathogens, analyzes the data, and works with state and local health departments as well as regulatory partners to identify outbreaks and sources, guide recalls, and implement prevention measures. Programs like FoodNet and PulseNet are core tools that collect and link human illness data to food sources and contamination patterns, enabling a rapid, coordinated response across the food safety system.

The other agencies regulate and inspect foods—FDA oversees most foods; USDA covers meat, poultry, and some eggs; EPA handles pesticides—but they do not drive the national surveillance and data-linking effort to prevent illness in the way CDC does.