Food safety risk monitoring ability of institutions for disease control and prevention in a province

ObjectiveTo determine the current situation of food safety risk monitoring ability of centers for disease control and prevention （CDCs） in a province， and provide reference for strengthening the construction of food safety monitoring ability in the future.

MethodsA self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among 14 CDCs who are responsible for food safety risk monitoring in the province in 2018.

ResultsThe ratio of food inspection staff with senior， middle， and primary professional titles was 1∶1∶1. The educational background of food inspection staff at the provincial and municipal levels was mainly bachelor degree or above， while that of county level directly under the administration of the province was mainly college degree. The age composition of the staff at the provincial level tended to be elder； however， there were more staff with less working experience at the county level. The qualification proportion of laboratory area was 50%. The distribution proportion of food inspection equipment in the CDC at all levels was 83.3%， 79.5% and 36.3%， respectively. In total， 14 CDCs completed the monitoring task as required. They were all accredited with laboratory qualifications； however， one CDC did not conduct re-evaluation after the certification of food inspection qualification expired. Each CDC ensured the accuracy and reliability of monitoring data through the supervision in food testing.

ConclusionThe food safety risk monitoring ability of the CDCs in the province is continuously improved， which can meet the needs of routine monitoring. However， the composition of professional titles of food inspection staff is not very reasonable. There is still a gap between the equipment configuration and the national requirements. The ability of food inspection needs to be improved， in which quality management and laboratory qualification should be further strengthened.