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# USDA Agencies to Collaborate on Root Cause Assessments in Outbreaks
- URL: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2014/05/usda-agencies-to-collaborate-on-root-cause-assessments-in-outbreaks/
- Published: 2014-05-07T05:03:21.000Z
- Updated: 2018-07-31T02:35:18.000Z
- Author: News Desk
- Tags: Foodborne Illness Investigations, Government Agencies, APHIS, FSIS, USDA, USDA FSIS, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2025-11-25 08:58

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Two agencies under the U.S. Department of Agriculture have agreed to a collaborative effort to assess the root cause in outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have signed a [Memorandum of Understanding](http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/1e6538de-3e99-4bb6-9831-65836899c410/MOU-FSIS-APHIS-One-Health.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&ref=foodsafetynews.com) (MOU) which lays out the roles and responsibilities of each agency during a root cause assessment. Through the agreement, the two agencies “will provide a more comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to address foodborne health hazards potentially associated with meat and poultry products,” stated an FSIS [constituent update](http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/meetings/newsletters/constituent-updates/archive/2014/ConstUpdate050214?ref=foodsafetynews.com). In addition, the agreement “will facilitate the sharing of information between agencies and assist in making science-based decisions on mitigation or intervention strategies.”