Foodborne Outbreak Online Database (FOOD Tool)

NEW: FOOD Tool has been updated with 2016 data.

Foodborne Outbreak Online Database (FOOD Tool) is a web-based platform for searching CDC’s Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System database. It’s designed to allow the public direct access to information on foodborne outbreaks reported to CDC since 1998.

FOOD Tool redesigned

Improvements made to FOOD Tool make it easier than ever to get data on foodborne disease outbreaks. Users now can search nearly 20 years of outbreak data by state, food, or germ; view a “quick stats” display; and get case counts for multistate outbreaks. Other new additions let users view data on interactive maps, graphs, and charts.

Why FOOD Tool is important

An estimated 1 in 6 Americans get sick from foodborne illness every year. Tracking and reporting outbreak information is critical to understanding how foodborne illness affects America’s health. During an outbreak, public health investigators can use the database to help point them toward possible contaminated food sources by searching foods, and the germs, implicated in past outbreaks. Reporters and members of the public can use the database to understand the history of recent or ongoing outbreaks of foodborne illness.

How FOOD Tool works

FOOD Tool lets users search foodborne disease data by year, state, location of food preparation, food and ingredient, and cause. It provides information on numbers of illnesses, hospitalizations, deaths, the germ, and the confirmed or suspected cause.

FOOD Tool’s data come from CDC’s Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System (FDOSS), which captures information on foodborne outbreaks caused by enteric (intestinal) bacterial, viral, parasitic, and chemical agents reported by state, local, and territorial public health agencies. CDC analyzes these data to understand the impact of foodborne illness outbreaks and the causes, foods, and settings involved.

For guidance on using the data and limitations to keep in mind when searching by food or ingredient, take a look at frequently asked questions about FOOD Tool.