Public Health

(CIDRAP News) – The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said today that it is moving forward with two pilot projects designed to help public health investigators and companies more quickly and effectively trace foods.

The projects are part of a measure required by this year's FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which directs the agency to establish record-keeping standards for high-risk foods.

(CIDRAP News) – After a decade of significant gains following the terrorist attacks of 2001, the risk of continuing budget cuts for state and local public health agencies is the biggest threat to US public health preparedness, says a top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Sep 1, 2011

(CIDRAP News) – Public health leaders, recalling and reflecting on the anthrax letter attacks of 2001 in a lengthy report released today, say the nation is better prepared to respond to such an emergency than it was 10 years ago, but their confidence is tinged with fear of slipping backward in the current era of budget cutting.

(CIDRAP News) – Del Monte Fresh Produce, a company that recalled its cantaloupes in March after health investigators in several states linked them to a Salmonella Panama outbreak, said yesterday that is plans to sue Oregon Health Authority and one of its officials, claiming that the company's products were wrongly singled out.

Aug 25, 2011

(CIDRAP News) – Federal health agencies today announced $613 million in grants to states and cities for this year's round of public health emergency preparedness funding, plus another $49 million in grants partly designated to boost epidemiology and laboratory capacity at state health departments.

(CIDRAP News) – Five US metropolitan areas will receive a total of $400,000 in grants from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to incorporate US Postal Service (USPS) volunteers into plans to deliver antibiotics after an anthrax attack.