I am approaching this topic with some trepidation. Although I have decades of experience in food safety, all of my experience has been for or at the behest of industry. I have not walked one mile in the shoes of the regulators. I am also very aware of the glass in my own home; therefore, I am reluctant to throw stones. Industry is involved in outbreak investigations and will have roles to play in any improved system. With these caveats in mind, the discussion that follows is more about asking questions than providing recommendations.  

The topic of outbreak investigation improvement is large, and there are many details that can be considered. The following discussion is biased toward produce, particularly fresh-cut produce, where my personal efforts have been largely focused in recent years. The discussion also has a U.S./North American bias. However, I suspect that, at the high levels of this discussion, similar analysis will find similar problems in other markets and other industry sectors.