Starting This Afternoon
The AFDO 125th Annual Educational Conference is June 14 -18, 2021

This week is the 125th Annual Educational Conference. Check out coverage of this week's activities on social media.  We're planning to make the event not just educational and valuable but celebratory as well. 

Here is what you will need to know about the 125th AFDO Annual Educational Conference and how to join the conference.

• Agenda
• Continuing Education
• AFDO Birthday Bash Endowment Foundation Event (What is this? See below.)

Don’t miss the party tomorrow night!

Online registration has closed  Please contact the AFDO office with any questions or concerns, (717) 757-2888 or afdo@afdo.org.

4/12/21

Webinar Recording Available

World Food Safety Day 2021 

AFDO shared the story of a victim affected by a foodborne illness in support of World Food Safety Day 2021.

This annual event aims to draw attention to and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks. Food safety is a shared responsibility between governments, producers and consumers. From farm to table, everyone has a role to play to ensure the food we consume is safe and healthy.
 
In collaboration with the non-profit Stop Foodborne Illness, listen to the recording of the webinar to hear from Erin Simmons whose eight-year-old son, Trevor, was one of 12 victims sickened by an outbreak sourced from soy nut butter when he contracted one of the most serious forms of E. coli – O157:H7. Learn about the impact of this unchecked yet preventable illness on this family.
Learn firsthand how important the work you do is.

Factors Potentially Contributing to the Contamination of Peaches Implicated in the Summer 2020 Outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis

Between August and October 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and multiple state and federal partners investigated an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections linked to peaches packed or supplied by a large grower/producer. In total, in the U.S. there were 101 reported illnesses across 17 states. Based on the historical outbreak data, this multistate outbreak appears to represent a novel commodity/pathogen pair. The epidemiological and traceback investigation identified the large grower/producer’s packinghouses, cooling facilities and/or orchards as a potential source of the peaches and helped prioritize investigational activities.

The investigation did not result in finding the outbreak strain (via whole genome sequencing (WGS)) in investigation samples, however, numerous Salmonella isolates were found in samples collected from the peach orchards. Multiple Salmonella isolates from product (peach) and peach tree leaf sampling activities conducted during this investigation genetically resembled historical chicken and cattle isolates not associated with this outbreak or any known foodborne illnesses. Geospatial analyses of the orchards that supplied fresh peaches during the period of interest, coupled with WGS analysis that showed closely related Salmonella isolates from peach/leaf and historical animal samples, suggested several plausible opportunities for contamination including from airborne transmission of fugitive dust possibly originating from adjacent animal operations (e.g., poultry or cattle). The large grower/producer cooperated with FDA throughout the investigation and is continuing to engage with FDA on the agency’s findings and recommendations. Read more....

• FDA Releases Investigation Findings Following Summer 2020 Outbreak Linked to Peaches | FDA
• Environmental Assessments from Foodborne Illness or Contamination Events | FDA