A new foodborne illness surveillance site opens in Alberta
By Food in Canada magazine staff
Food Safety Dietitians of Canada foodborne illnessesThe federal government has expanded FoodNet to three surveillance sites "with its newest in Calgary“ and unveiled the Healthy and Safe Food for Canadians Framework
Calgary, Alta. – FoodNet has expanded to include a new surveillance site in Calgary to better help inform Canadian consumers and protect them from unsafe foods.
The federal government announced in November the Healthy and Safe Food for Canadians Framework and the expansion of FoodNet Canada.
The framework describes how the government is working to inform consumers about healthy and safe food choices to minimize food safety risks, and to protect Canadians when unsafe foods enter the marketplace.
“Healthy, safe and accessible food is vitally important to Canadians,” says Pat Vanderkooy, registered dietitian with Dietitians of Canada.
“Protecting the health of Canadians requires the Government’s commitment to regulating what’s allowed in our food, how it’s labelled, as well as monitoring and reporting on the safety of the food supply.”
Under this new Framework, Rona Ambrose, the federal minister of Health, along with the Honourable Dave Rodney, assistant minister of Wellness for Alberta, announced the expansion of FoodNet Canada to include a new surveillance site in Calgary and Central Alberta.
“Alberta is very pleased to host this new site in Canada that will improve our food safety surveillance systems and help prevent illnesses, improving the overall wellness of Canadians,” says Rodney.
FoodNet Canada is made up of three surveillance sites located across the country.
In addition to the new site in Alberta, there is one in the Region of Waterloo, Ont., and the Fraser Region in B.C. They each collect detailed information about foodborne illness, commonly known as food poisoning, in Canadians and trace those illnesses back to their sources, such as food, water and animals.
This information identifies sources that are causing the most illness among Canadians and helps to track illnesses and their causes over time. This assists federal and provincial governments, industry and other food safety partners to take the right prevention measures to help keep Canadians food safe and prevent illnesses.
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