Food / Food Safety /
Canadian Food Inspection Agency Food Facts
Link to information about allergies and sensitivities, food borne illnesses, food packaging and storing, and food safety tips and facts.
Acrylamide and Food
Find information on acrylamide, a potential cancer-causing chemical used in the manufacture of plastics, which is also produced in certain starch-based foods when they have been cooked at high temperatures.
Advisories, Warnings and Recalls
Access an archive of health-related warnings and advisories from 1995 to present.
Allergy Alerts and Food Recalls
Learn about foods that cause allergies and how the process of allergy alerts works.
Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning
Learn about Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning, one of several illnesses associated with the consumption of tainted, decomposed or unwholesome fish and fish products.
Bottled Water
Find information on bottled water, including different types, recommendations for storage and how it is regulated.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in North America
Access information on BSE, including news releases, disease information and policies and procedures to contain this disease.
Campylobacter jejuni
Read about the bacteria campylobacter jejuni and the food borne illness campylobateriosis, its manifestation as a food borne illness in humans.
Ciguatera Poisoning
Find information on Ciguatera Poisoning, an illness caused by an accumulation of marine biotoxins in fish.
Clostridium botulinum and Botulism
Learn about botulism, a food borne illness that humans can acquire through consumption of home-canned, low-acid foods, honey and occasionally raw or parboiled meats from marine mammals.
Clostridium perfringens
Find information on Clostridium perfringens, a spore-forming bacterium which, when eaten in high concentration, produces a toxin in the intestinal tract.
Consumer Centre
Link to consumer information on allergies, biotechnology, food facts, food and travelling and much more.
Cyclospora
Learn about research done to reduce illness in consumers resulting from the increasing availability of exotic foods (text and video).
Cyclospora
Find information on Cyclospora, a microscopic parasite that infects the small intestine of humans with a disease called cyclosporiasis.
Detecting Products Derived Through Biotechnology
Discover how scientific methods are used to find out whether or not foods contain products of biotechnology.
E. Coli
Link to resources on E. Coli, such as articles, statistics and reports.
E. COLI O157:H7 Myths vs Reality
Discover what the Government of Canada is doing to protect people from the consumption of E. coli O157:H7.
Escherichia coli 0157:H7
Learn about E. coli 0157:H7, a bacterium found in the intestines of cattle, poultry and other animals.
Food Recalls
Find out about the latest food recalls and allergy alerts or sign up to receive updates by email.
Food Research Publications
Review lists of publications detailing research on food and food processing done by scientists at the Food Research and Development Centre at Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec.
Food Safety and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Found in Fish
Read about the issue of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) found in fish, and find out why farmed salmon is considered safe for consumers to eat.
Food Safety Facts for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Use this guide for safe consumption of fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of food borne illness.
Food Safety Facts for Turkey
Follow these safety tips when you buy, prepare and cook turkeys to help reduce the risk of food borne illness.
Food Safety Facts on Bivalve Shellfish in British Columbia
Learn the potential risk of eating shellfish, an excellent source of protein, high in essential minerals and low in calories, fat and cholesterol.
Food Safety Facts on Flooding
Find out how a flood may cause damage that could increase the risk of food borne illness and learn safe food handling tips for during and after a flood.
Food Safety Facts on Leftovers
Prevent the risk of food borne illness caused by handling leftovers by reading these safety tips on how to store and reheat food.
Food Safety Facts on Microwave Ovens
Find out how food borne illness can occur as a result of using improper food handling techniques and cooking practices when using a microwave oven.
Food Safety Facts on Power Failure
Follow these safe food handling tips during a power failure to reduce the risk of food borne illness.
Food Safety Measures for Cantaloupe
Find out how to properly wash, cut and store cantaloupe to prevent salmonella infection.
Food Safety Tips for Bagged and Boxed Lunches
Consider these safety tips to keep your food safe when you make and store lunches for school or work.
Food Safety Tips for Barbecuing
Follow these tips for preparing, cooking, serving and storing barbecued foods safely.
Food Safety Tips for Eggs
Read these tips for buying, storing, handling and cooking eggs. Also, find out how to keep Easter eggs safe.
Food Safety Tips for Halloween
Follow these simple food safety tips to ensure that children have a safe Halloween.
Food Safety Tips for Picknicking, Hiking and Camping
Read these tips before you go picnicking, hiking or camping to keep food safe while you are having fun outdoors.
Food Safety Tips for the Kitchen
Discover how food borne illness can spread in a kitchen not properly cleaned or when food is not stored properly. Follow these food safety tips to help keep your kitchen safe.
Genetically Modified (GM) Foods and Other Novel Foods
Read the definition of novel foods, access frequently asked questions and link to related information about consultations and projects.
Ground Beef Safety
Learn all about ground beef and how to ensure safe consumption to prevent E. Coli infection.
Holiday Food Safety
Follow these safe food handling tips to decrease the risk of food borne illness during the holiday season.
Imported Chocolate and the Allergic Consumer
Read this allergy alert to find important information about imported chocolate.
Industry Communiqués
Access information about food exporting and importing, food processing and fair labeling practices.
Inorganic Arsenic and Seaweed Consumption
Find information on why consumers are advised to avoid consumption of hijiki seaweed, which have been found to contain levels of inorganic arsenic that are significantly higher than in other types of seaweed.
Inventory of Food Safety and Nutrition Projects
Use this inventory to review current food safety research undertaken by scientists at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Labelling of Foods Causing Allergies and Sensitivities
Find out which foods cause the most serious allergies, how products can contain traces of these foods without declaring it on labels and what is being done to ensure that these foods are listed as ingredients.
Laboratory Procedures for the Microbiological Analysis of Foods
Access Volume 3 of The Compendium of Analytical Methods, entitled Laboratory Procedures for the Microbiological Analysis of Foods.
Listeria monocytogenes and Listeriosis
Find information on Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium often found in the environment that can contaminate food and may cause the disease listeriosis.
Mercury and Fish Consumption
Learn about mercury and find out why certain types of fish should be eaten in moderation because mercury levels in those fish sometimes exceed Canada’s mercury guideline.
Methods for the Analysis of Extraneous Material in Foods
Access Volume 4 of The Compendium of Analytical Methods, entitled Methods for the Analysis of Extraneous Material in Foods.
Methods for the Microbiological Analysis of Foods
Access Volume 2 of The Compendium of Analytical Methods, entitled HPB Methods for the Microbiological Analysis of Foods.
Northern Contaminants Program
Learn about an initiative that works to reduce and, wherever possible, eliminate contaminants in traditionally harvested foods, while providing information to assist informed decision making in food use.
Official Methods for the Microbiological Analysis of Foods
Access Volume 1 of The Compendium of Analytical Methods, entitled The Official Methods for the Microbiological Analysis of Foods.
Oral Allergy Syndrome
Access information on oral allergy syndrome, an allergic reaction to certain proteins in a variety of fruits, vegetables and nuts, which develops in some people with pollen allergies.
Oyster and Soya Sauces
Refer to these questions and answers for information on the issue of safety and oyster and soya sauces.
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
Find information on Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning, caused by consumption of toxins that can accumulate in some shellfish, such as clams, mussels, scallops and oysters, and in the liver of crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters.
Policy Development for Raw Foods of Animal Origin
Read about the initiative to develop a comprehensive policy to improve the safety of raw foods of animal origin.
Safe Food Storage
Access information on food irradiation, the process of exposing food to a controlled amount of energy called ionizing radiation.
Safety Tips for Black Widow Spiders in Grapes
Find out what safety precautions to take when you find spiders, especially black widow spiders, on grapes.
Salmonella and Salmonellosis
Access information on salmonella and salmonellosis, the disease people can get from salmonella bacteria.
Scombroid Poisoning
Learn about Scombroid Poisoning, an allergic type reaction to high levels of histamine in fish that form when fish start to decompose.
Shigella and shigellosis
Find information on shigella, a type of bacteria that can contaminate food in a variety of ways, such as through contaminated water, poor sanitation in the field or by improper food handling.
Sprouts Health Risk
Discover why sprouts can transmit salmonella and E. coli and find out how to protect against infection.
Toxoplasma Gondii and Toxoplasmosis
Read about toxoplasmosis and find out how humans can become infected by ingesting undercooked meat, gardening, changing cat litter or eating contaminated fruits and vegetables from the garden.
Unpasteurized Fruit Juice and Cider
Find out how unpasteurized drinks, which are normally safe to drink, carry a risk of being contaminated with harmful bacteria that can make people very ill.
Vegetables and Herbs Stored in Oil
Learn about the risks associated with storing foods in oil to extend shelf life.
Why Sparks Occur When Cooking Vegetables in a Microwave
Discover how cooking vegetables in a microwave can cause sparks or small burns.