Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response Guidelines for Foodborne Disease Outbreak Response
The Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR) Guidelines for Foodborne Disease Outbreak Response describe model practices for foodborne disease outbreaks, including preparation, detection, investigation, control, and follow-up as well as the roles of key organizations in foodborne disease outbreaks. The Guidelines are a comprehensive source of information on foodborne disease investigation and control for local, state, territories, tribes, and federal health agencies.
The current third edition of the Guidelines incorporates significant changes in the foodborne disease surveillance and outbreak investigation framework since the second edition was published, including:
- whole genome sequencing, advanced molecular detection, and culture-independent diagnostic tests;
- consumer complaint systems with pathogen-specific surveillance;
- sub-cluster investigations and epidemiologic tracebacks;
- environmental assessments;
- after-action reviews;
- coordinated inclusion of communications sections; and
- elimination of CIFOR metrics and better referencing existing program metrics.
The third edition of the CIFOR Guidelines is available in English and Spanish.
Visit CIFOR’s page to download the full guidelines.


Last updated: December 27, 2022
