The weakest links in food safety are found closest to the plates of Canadian diners, according to a Conference Board of Canada (CBOC) report, released this week.
“It is commonly assumed that farms and food processing companies hold the most responsibility for ensuring safe food, and their role is critical. But most food-borne illnesses are associated with the preparation and storage practices of restaurants, food service operations, and consumers themselves,” said Daniel Munro, Principal Research Associate.
In its report, "Improving Food Safety in Canada: Toward a More Risk Responsive System," the Conference Board estimates that there are close to 6.8 million cases of food-borne illness annually in Canada, and that 70 to 80 per cent of these are associated with mistakes in the final preparation and handling of food products. About half of all food-borne illnesses are acquired in restaurants and other food service establishments, while many of the remaining cases are linked to food that is stored and prepared in the home.
While farms and food processors are less often the source of food illness, they too are part of the solution. Given their position in the food supply chain and the huge numbers of consumers, even infrequent failures can affect the health of many people.
The report, prepared by the Board’s Centre for Food in Canada, identified five potential areas for improvement:
- Providing small and medium restaurants and food service operators with management advice and information on how they can minimize food safety risks and take effective action in the case of outbreaks.
- Encouraging better behavior among consumers by building on current consumer awareness programs. Consumers appear to know what they should be doing for safe food preparation and handling, but they often don’t put that knowledge to use.
- Harmonizing private standards to protect the public interest.
- Making greater use of technology to improve visibility and traceability.
- Adding resources to address the potential increase in risks from international food sources.
The full report is available at CBOC.