Message from the Minister of Health on World Food Safety Day 2026

Food safety matters to every Canadian — from our farms to our grocery stores to our kitchen tables. This World Food Safety Day, under the theme “From burden to solutions – safe food everywhere,” we recognize how data about the impact of foodborne illness on health, livelihoods, education and economies can help drive cost-effective and science-based solutions that help keep people safe.

Food safety matters to every Canadian — from our farms to our grocery stores to our kitchen tables. This World Food Safety Day, under the theme “From burden to solutions – safe food everywhere,” we recognize how data about the impact of foodborne illness on health, livelihoods, education and economies can help drive cost-effective and science-based solutions that help keep people safe.

Canada’s food safety system is among the strongest in the world because it is built on science, collaboration and continuous improvement. Health Canada establishes science‑based standards to protect health, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) verifies their real-world use through inspections, sampling and testing, surveillance, compliance promotion and enforcement across our food system, including imported food.

Data plays a critical role in our approach. Each year, the CFIA tests tens of thousands of food products. Recently released results show very high rates of compliance with food safety standards. The Agency also conducts approximately 2,800 food safety investigations annually, triggered by inspection findings, laboratory results, consumer complaints, and international alerts. When unsafe food is identified, the CFIA oversees food recalls, informs the public, and verifies that recalled food products are quickly removed from the marketplace.