Food Safety Newsletter

At a glance

Food Safety Updates From CDC is an electronic newsletter of food safety news for educators, consumer advocates, government officials, and industry representatives.

Food Safety Updates From CDC

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In this Edition

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Table of food at holiday gathering
Table of food at holiday gathering

We wish all of our subscribers healthy and safe holidays and new year! Thank you for tuning in for another year of CDC’s Food Safety newsletter. We hope you gained valuable information and updates throughout 2024. Many events happened in 2024, and we are savoring the memories! Read on to see a few highlights from this year.

Relaunch of CDC.gov

Redesigned CDC.gov homepage featuring modern layout, streamlined content, and improved user experience for easy navigation.
Redesigned CDC.gov homepage featuring modern layout, streamlined content, and improved user experience for easy navigation.

On May 16, the new CDC.gov site was launched! The new provides health information that is easier for you to find and understand. The enhancements underscore CDC's commitment to provide clear and effective communication to our users, delivering crucial health information how and when you need it.

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Busy Year for Foodborne Outbreaks

CDC led 63A investigations of foodborne outbreaks causing illnesses in multiple states. From onions on fast food burgers, cucumbers, and deli meat, CDC and partners worked quickly to find out what was making people sick. When a contaminated food item was identified, investigators took action to remove the food from stores and warn the public about the outbreak.

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Cronobacter Added to Nationally Notifiable Conditions List

A healthcare providers talking to a patient holding an infant
A healthcare provider talking to a patient holding an infant

This summer, CDC and partners took an important step to protect the health of infants. In collaboration with the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), we worked to make Cronobacter infections in infants less than 12 months of age nationally notifiable. Cronobacter is found naturally in the environment and can live in dry foods, like powdered infant formula (PIF). It has also been found on items like breast pump equipment that have not been properly cleaned and sanitized. Cronobacter infections are rare but in infants younger than 2 months, born prematurely, or have weakened immune systems, it is often fatal or can have long-term neurological effects in infants that do survive.

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New CDC DFWED Director

Dr. Megin Nichols, DVM, MPH, DACVPM (Director of the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases)
Dr. Megin Nichols, DVM, MPH, DACVPM (Director of the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases)

Say hello to the new director of CDC's Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases (DFWED) in the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Dr. Megin Nichols, DVM, MPH, DACVPM. Megin was previously serving as DFWED's Acting Director since June 2024 after Dr. Robert Tauxe retired, and prior to this, she held other roles at CDC. She will continue the Division's committed focus and supportive role to improve public health nationally and internationally through the prevention and control of disease, disability, and death caused by foodborne, waterborne, and environmentally transmitted infections.

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Food Safety Tip

Graphic showing food thermometers being placed into different types of cooked meat. Text states, “Cook holiday meat to a safe temperature. 165°F: Turkey; 145°F: Fish Fillet; Reheat to 140°F: Cooked Ham (Packaged in USDA-inspected plants); Reheat to 165°F: Cooked Ham (Not packaged in USDA-inspected plants); 145°F: Beef Brisket, Pork Roast, Raw/Fresh Ham, Rack of Lamb. After cooking, let meat rest for 3 minutes before serving.
Graphic showing food thermometers being placed into different types of cooked meat.

Don't invite food poisoning to your holiday celebrations. Refrigerate leftovers quickly and remember to always cook holiday meat to a safe internal temperature.

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