The National Health Commission releases the new version of the Food Safety Incident Epidemiological Investigation and On-site Sanitation Handling Work Standards

The General Office of the National Health Commission announced on the 13th the “Work Standards for Epidemiological Investigation and On-Site Sanitation Treatment of Food Safety Incidents.” The new standards include 4 parts and 24 items, aiming to better ensure the orderly conduct of epidemiological investigations and on-site sanitation treatments for food safety incidents.

It is introduced that the “Work Standards for Epidemiological Investigation of Food Safety Incidents” were issued by the former Ministry of Health in 2011, mainly clarifying the responsibilities and duties of food safety incident investigation agencies during investigations, and playing an important role in standardizing procedures and conclusion reports of epidemiological investigations.

With the revision and implementation of the Food Safety Law and its implementing regulations, to better adapt epidemiological investigations of food safety incidents to new circumstances and requirements, the National Health Commission organized a revision of the 2011 standards.

Compared to the 2011 version, the new standards add the responsibilities of disease prevention and control agencies for on-site sanitation treatment of food safety incidents, and clarify relevant definitions and requirements.

To ensure the quality of epidemiological investigations, the “investigator system” in the 2011 standards has been adjusted to a “investigation team,” further clarifying requirements for investigators, testing agencies, and information release, and stipulating measures to be taken when on-site investigation or treatment cannot be conducted or when the investigation team’s judgment is affected.

Additionally, the new standards specify that when epidemiological investigations involve infectious disease outbreaks and public health emergencies, epidemic prevention and control and emergency sanitation measures should be carried out according to relevant regulations.

It is understood that these standards are applicable to county-level and above disease prevention and control agencies conducting epidemiological investigations and on-site sanitation treatments of food safety incidents. They will be implemented from the date of issuance, and the 2011 standards are simultaneously repealed. (CCTV News)