AN EVALUATION OF THE COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF EPIDEMIOLOGIC DATA FOR SUPPORT OF FOOD SAFETY CONTROL-SYSTEMS

Food-borne disease data collected by three U. K. environmental health departments were used in this study. The data were analyzed using a da tabase designed to rank disease agents, food ingredients, and processi ng factors which contribute to cases of food-borne disease. The result s established changes in patterns of food-borne disease over time, pat tern differences between U, K. localities and differences between area s of the United Kingdom and the United States. This type of analysis o f epidemiological data provides scientific underpinning for hazard ana lysis critical control point systems for food safety control. The work highlights the need for a consistent procedure for collection of food -borne disease data and for a national database to facilitate analysis .