Food Safety Market Blog

Having certified food handlers is the only way for your foodservice business to avoid the risk of reputation damage brought on by failed health inspections and causing customers to develop foodborne illness or food poisoning. In the majority of Canadian provinces and territories, businesses are required by law to hire staff with proper food handler certifications.

The best way for food handlers and consumers to avoid contracting or spreading foodborne illness is through education. Learning how foodborne illnesses are spread, what they are, and how to prevent them can go a long way in reducing serious cases.

It’s important for consumers to report food safety concerns and violations. This helps provincial health units respond quickly and effectively to urgent concerns or violations before they can affect large groups of people.

 

Reporting concerns also allows restaurants and foodservice providers to identify employees who may require additional food safety training, or who may not be taking best practices seriously. In Canada, there are a variety of different ways to report your food safety concerns - it usually depends on which province or territory you reside in and what kind of establishment you’re filing a concern about.

 

Over the last year, seafood fraud has become a major issue in Canada. Studies have shown that the majority of the seafood consumed by Canadians is mislabeled, with consumers buying and eating a completely different product than what’s advertised on the label.

Dog-friendly restaurants have quickly become all the rage, allowing patrons to bring their four-legged friends with them for a bite to eat.

 

The trend may be welcomed by pet-owners, but it's not as clear-cut for food handlers who have to consider any food safety risks pets may pose and may need to brush up with a safe food handling course to ensure they're aware of all the regulations and rules around animals in a foodservice setting.

 

In 2018, it was reported that Canada was one of the world’s leading food wasters, with 396 kilograms of food being wasted or lost every year. In comparison, two of Canada’s largest neighbours, the United States and Mexico, lose up to 415 kilograms and 249 kilograms respectively. The vast majority of this waste is produced by consumers, and a number of factors lead to high waste including large portions, buffets, imperfect produce, and non-standardized expiry dates.

It’s becoming more common for municipalities to make health inspection results widely available to the public, detailing when restaurants have been inspected, how many infractions were found, what those infractions were, and what action the health inspector has taken.

If a health inspector finds problems with a foodservice business, one of the standard recommendations is that food safety courses be taken by management and employees. There are several online options to choose from and evaluating them can be daunting for a time-starved manager.

According to the Center for Disease Control, nearly one in six Americans are infected with foodborne bacteria every year. From poultry and beef to raw vegetables and eggs, there are countless food products that can get you sick if they are not handled safely. While most people are aware of the most common sources of food poisoning or foodborne illness, there are many unexpected foods that too many people don’t take seriously enough when preparing or storing. Here are 8 unexpected food products that can make you sick.