When food is not prepared or stored properly, it can cause illness, or even death. Careless handling of food can cause contamination with
microorganisms, chemicals (e.g. pesticides or cleaners) or physical hazards (e.g. splinters or glass). Foodborne illness, or food poisoning, in BC costs tens of millions of dollars each year due to lost work time, medical costs and legal costs. Estimates of actual cases in BC run from 14 thousand to 1.5 million a year. It is difficult to know how many cases actually occur, since many are not reported.
 Role of Environmental Health Officers
Interior Health is responsible for food service permits and the inspection of restaurants, food stores and other food premises. Environmental Health Officers provide information and advice to operators to help them provide safe food for the public. Sometimes it is necessary to enforce the Food Premises Regulation.
Inspection
Environmental Health Officers, work under the Health Protection program of Interior Health’s Public Health department, towards preventing foodborne illness. They carry out routine and complaint inspections in restaurants, food stores and other food premises. They maintain files on each location they inspect. Under the Food Premises Regulation, food premises operators are responsible for providing safe food for the public to eat. Restaurants, food stores and other public food establishments must be operated in a safe manner, as directed by law. Inspection Reports are available on at http://php.interiorhealth.ca/
Investigation of Foodborne Illness, Food Recalls, Food Seizures
Complaints of foodborne illness (also known as ‘food poisoning’) are
given high priority for follow-up. See our Suspected Food Poisoning
page to find out more about what it is and what to do if you think you
have it. Health Protection works with the CFIA and BCCDC to assist
with recalls of food that has been found to be unsafe. Notices of food
recalls are routinely posted on Interior Health’s Current Health Alerts page.
Interagency Collaboration
Health Protection routinely collaborates with other agencies that are
involved with the approvals and operations of food premises. These
agencies often include local governments, food protection programs
at the BC Centre for Disease Control, federal inspectors in the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and others. Consultations
are routine and joint inspections may be done in food premises where
there are joint interests.
Public Education
Environmental Health Officers also provide information to the general
public on food safety. They produce seasonal media releases such as
tips for safe barbecuing and proper preparation of turkey. They encourage food service workers and volunteers to take food safety training, such as FOODSAFE.
A newly developed course, Caring About Food Safety is also available. This web-based, interactive course will benefit people who prepare food in work, community and home environments, where it is not always necessary for them to hold a food training certificate. It is offered in multiple languages.
They also provide information from the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education. Their 4 point message is clear and to the point: Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill. For more information on food safety programs in BC, visit Food Programs at the BC Centre for Disease Control
Food Protection: a priority for British Columbia; a priority for Interior Health. Food protection programs in BC are undergoing a review as part of the Public Health Core Review of programs. Food Safety was the first program to be reviewed. As part of this province-wide process, a Model Food Program paper has been written. There are four parts to this Program: Inspection of Food Premises; Investigation of Foodborne Illness, Food Recalls and Seizures; Food Safety Education; and Monitoring of Food Safety. Health Protection has done a review of its own program, compared it to the model and written a plan to close any “gaps”. A Performance Improvement Plan was developed and
regular reports are made on the progress towards the model program.
More information about the Food Safety Core Function can be found at http://www.interiorhealth.ca/uploadedFiles/Information/Health_Service_
Planning/foodsafety_plan2007-2010.pdf
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