2022 has been a busy year in food safety. The principal federal agency with regards to food safety is the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The CFIA is responsible for inspecting and regulating federally registered food production facilities. CFIA also issues food recalls and removal of products from shelves. The CFIA classifies recalls based on the level of health risk associated with the food product being recalled.

In 2022 alone the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued 155 recalls and issued close to $400,000 in fines!

In recent weeks there has been a lot of media attention on food recalls and outbreaks of food borne illnesses such as:

• Deadly E. coli outbreak linked to romaine
• Dozens of brands of ice cream bars recall for Listeria
• Kirkland Signature brand All Butter Croissants recalled from certain stores in Ontario due to possible presence of plastic.
• PC brand Sweet Chipotle Prepared Mustard may be unsafe due to possible presence of glass

Food handler knowledge is the key to preventing food borne illness. Probe It Food Safety  online food handler course provides food handlers with the knowledge they need to prevent outbreaks and recalls. A course demo can be found by clicking here. For more information on the CFIA’s recalls and prosecutions please click on the following links.

CFIA Recall Information
CFIA Prosecution Information