Food Safety & Security
Last updated on March 18, 2025Food Safety
Food safety – making sure our food is safe to eat – is important to all of us. One in eight British Columbians get a foodborne illness (“food poisoning”) every year.
Food-borne illness comes from eating food contaminated with bacteria, parasites, viruses, poisonous chemicals or toxins. Common symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps and fever. Most people are sick for a few days then get better. Foodborne illness can also be life threatening, especially for children, pregnant women, the elderly and individuals with weak immune systems.
People may not realize they have a foodborne illness because they can get sick hours or even several days after eating contaminated food.
Most people are sick for a few days and then get better. However, food-borne illness can be life threatening for especially vulnerable people, such as children, pregnant women, the elderly and individuals with weak immune systems.
The Ministry of Health shares the responsibility for food safety in B.C. with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), health authorities and Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Learn more about food safety in B.C.: