Tabletop exercise FAST FOOD 2024

The main goal of the exercise was to clarify the roles of those involved in investigating foodborne outbreaks to ensure efficient communication and response. Another goal was to highlight potential areas for improvement in the current guidelines. Participants were representatives from the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (FVA), Local Health Authorities, Chief Epidemiologist, District and regional physicians of disease control, the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Landspitali Hospital and Matis Laboratory (Food Research and Biotechnology).

Participants received an outline before the exercise and a description of the notifications to be discussed. The FVA and local Health authorities each received a single notification of a gastrointestinal illness (diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever), potentially associated with consuming certain food items. A possible connection between these two notifications was soon identified and therefore a common teleconference was organized to discuss whether a formal investigation of a foodborne outbreak was warranted.

Approximately fifty people participated in the exercise as active participants or observant. During the exercise, various suggestions and reflections on the current procedures were raised, but a comprehensive revision of the procedures, updated in June 2023, was not considered necessary. The last update was conducted following the tabletop exercise FOOD 2022, where several stakeholders participated.

According to feedback received after the FAST FOOD 2024 exercise, the exercise was considered successful, contributing to improved knowledge of the field and the current procedure. There was an interest in planning another exercise in the next couple of years.

The Chief Epidemiologist