Preparing for a Food Illness Outbreak: Sarah Brew Offers Advice in Law360

In preparation for a potential food illness outbreak, it is crucial for companies to have detailed response plans in place that include negotiated cooperation with each member of the supply chain.

There are steps that can help a company be better prepared, they include: guaranteeing that you have people who are prepared and ready to respond; ensuring that your products are trackable within the supply chain; developing internal investigations; and conducting mock outbreaks to ensure preparedness.

In regards to guaranteeing that you have people ready to respond, Sarah Brew, partner and food litigation and regulatory practice lead at Faegre Baker Daniels explained to Law360 that in most cases, either a restaurant or food retailer will be getting the first reports of potential consumer illnesses. For these kinds of establishments, it's particularly important to have outlined company procedures on how to get details of the complaint or event from on-site personnel, trace supply chain records, and even preserve videotape of the consumer's dining experience, if it's a restaurant.