Environmental Health Specialist Network (EHS-Net) - Practice Based Research to Improve Food Safety

NIH RePORTER · ALLCDC · U01 · $192,587 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

Abstract Tennessee EHS-Net Application 2020 Foodborne pathogens cause substantial burden of illness. The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) considers involvement in EHS-Net vital to promoting safe practices, educating environmentalists and epidemiologists in outbreak investigation, preventing illness, adding to the body of generalizable knowledge about food safety and environmental contamination, and demonstrating to health officials, industry, and the general public the value of food safety measures. This application will demonstrate our EHS-Net objectives, our history of EHS-Net accomplishments, and our future EHS-Net plans. We will continue the interagency approach in the Tennessee EHS-Net Food Program by supporting two full-time environmentalists (one designated as Co-PI), in two of the state’s most populated regions that contain comprehensive food safety programs. They are strategically positioned so the entire state has coverage for outbreak response, training, and conducting single and multi-site EHS-Net studies. These environmentalist and the EHS-Net PI will actively contribute to all aspects of the five Tennessee food safety projects listed below and will participate in steering committee and working group calls. Projects will include the following: 1. Operate EHS-Net in Tennessee as a Collaborative Consortium Member 2. Evaluate, Promote, and Implement the National Environmental Assessment Reporting System (NEARS) 3. Farmers’ Market Raw Dairy and Safe Food Practices Assessment 4. Development of a dashboard and routine user updates to increase complaint system uptake by regional and local health departments 5. Raw Animal Product Handling and Availability on Food Service Menus, Tennessee- Specific Study Continued participation in multi-state EHS-Net studies will also remain a high priority.

Key facts

NIH application ID
10438158
Project number
5U01EH001366-03
Recipient
TENNESSEE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Principal Investigator
JOHN ROBERT DUNN
Activity code
U01
Funding institute
ALLCDC
Fiscal year
2022
Award amount
$192,587
Award type
5
Project period
2020-09-30 → 2025-09-29