Paige Desmond
The last few months have seen an upswing in food safety issues, including some with deadly consequences.
Listeriosis, a food-borne illness which originated at a Maple Leaf plant in Toronto, is blamed for 20 deaths, with others still under investigation, and 52 cases of infection confirmed as of Oct. 1.
Melamine, a chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers, has been found in milk in China, sickening more than 54,000 Chinese children and causing four deaths.
The tainted milk also was used in some products exported around the world, including Canada.
Meanwhile, Salmonella in pre-packaged, shredded iceberg lettuce from the United States also has been an issue, prompting yet another warning.
Most recently, in North Bay, Ont., a Harvey’s restaurant was blamed for an E. coli outbreak that affected more than 200 people.
And closer to home, Prairie Flour Mills Ltd., based in Elie, Man. has voluntarily recalled “No Name” brand all-purpose flour because the product may contain excessively high levels of folic acid, iron, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamine which have caused flushing of the skin, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting in four people.
With all these recalls, illnesses, and deaths being caused by food, it prompts questions of how safe our food is—and whether or not current measures to ensure that safety are effective.
“I would hope it would raise people’s concerns,” said Mike McBane, national director of the Canadian Health Coalition, a public health care advocacy group.
“There’s certainly a lot of coverage in the media,” he noted.
Local resident Terry Shelton said the recent food recalls definitely have him leery when he does his grocery shopping.
“I am skeptical of the meats,” he admitted. “If I go to a deli, I’m very cautious.”
On the flip side, Tara Montague said she’s always had an awareness of food safety issues and uses caution as best she can.
Brian Norris, food inspection officer for the Northwestern Health Unit here, feels district residents are worried about the safety of their food, especially that which is shipped here from elsewhere in Canada or abroad.
“Local people are definitely concerned,” he asserted.
Norris added people feel safer knowing where their food comes from, with local options for meat, fruits, vegetables, and other products offering alternatives to products which originated elsewhere.
“A lot more people are trying to shop locally, for sure,” he remarked.
Bob Gillon is one such person who tries to buy local because he feels the food is less risky.
“We eat a lot of locally-grown stuff. I think it’s safer,” he remarked as Allen O. Peterson added he grows his own tomatoes due to a past E. coli scare.
Still, Norris cautioned buying local is not the only answer in avoiding contamination or food-borne illnesses. While some do result from outside sources, the majority of issues occur during food storage, preparation, or re-heating in the home.
These account for “90 percent of food-borne illness,” Norris stressed.
“It’s from mishandling of a food product in the home,” he added. “It can happen.”
Cross-contamination and improperly maintaining food temperatures are the two biggest culprits of illness caused by food in the home. “People need general food safety,” Norris explained.
But when it comes to national and international food safety, McBane believes the federal government is slacking in the food inspection department.
“They’re not monitoring the food safety system,” he charged.
Shelton agreed, saying the government needs to “at least be more on top of it than they are now.”
“It’s going to take more political pressure from voters and citizens” for things to change,” added McBane. “We have a government that doesn’t believe in regulation.”
Eventually, with the right amount of pressure, McBane believes regulation and inspection will improve. “Canadians will eventually demand regulation, the pendulum will swing back,” he predicted.
In the meantime, Norris said residents should contact the health unit with any concerns.
“We definitely have info here about food safety if people would ever like to stop in,” he noted.
