Surveillance Webinar: Disease Surveillance Food Safety Applications-Surveillance Webinar: Disease Surveillance Food Safety Applications PPT Slides

Surveillance Webinar: Disease Surveillance Food Safety Applications PPT Slides

Pdf Summary

This webinar, presented by Dr. Kathleen Gensheimer of the U.S. FDA on February 5, 2026, provides a comprehensive overview of disease surveillance and its critical role in food safety. Surveillance is defined as the continuous, systematic collection and analysis of health data to inform public health actions. The U.S. food supply has evolved from localized, farm-to-table systems to a complex, globalized chain involving fewer but larger producers, diverse distribution, imports, and new processing techniques, increasing the complexity of food safety challenges.<br /><br />The FDA regulates 80% of food consumed in the U.S., emphasizing science-based policy and transparency in partnership with other agencies. The webinar highlights the One Health approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health disciplines to optimize overall health and manage zoonotic diseases—those transmitted between animals and humans—such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli, and emerging threats like avian influenza and SARS-CoV-2. Environmental factors like air and water quality, climate change, and biodiversity loss are key components affecting food safety.<br /><br />Emerging infectious diseases, many zoonotic in origin, underscore the necessity of multidisciplinary surveillance and coordinated global efforts to detect and prevent outbreaks. Historical milestones from early food preservation to modern regulations illustrate the development of food safety systems.<br /><br />Challenges discussed include changing consumer preferences, new food delivery methods, climatic and demographic pressures, and novel pathogens. The presentation stresses the importance of accurate, timely public health data and scientific integrity to support effective outbreak response and policy-making.<br /><br />The session ends with a call for continued vigilance and collaboration across sectors to safeguard food safety, promote global health security, and ensure equitable access to safe and healthy food as population demands rise. The next webinar focuses on surveillance of common foodborne illnesses in the U.S.

Keywords

disease surveillance

food safety

U.S. FDA

One Health approach

zoonotic diseases

Salmonella

Campylobacter

avian influenza

climate change

foodborne illnesses