Eating food that has not been properly prepared or stored can make you sick. Food can be contaminated with harmful microorganisms without looking, smelling, or tasting bad.
Contact us to report a food-borne illness from a food premise in our region.
Food-borne illness
Food-borne illness occurs when you eat food that contains harmful microorganisms, or toxins. Food-borne illness can cause mild to severe illness, from diarrhea to death. People with weaker immune systems, such as pregnant women, young children, and older adults are more vulnerable to the effects of food-bone illness.
Signs and symptoms of food borne illness |
| Signs and symptoms can occur within a few hours to up to several days after eating contaminated food. If you have difficulty breathing, swallowing, or if you develop paralysis or double vision, you should seek medical attention immediately. |
Make sure your food is safe |
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It's really important to follow food safety rules to stop you and your family from getting sick. You also need to make sure that any food you buy from a home-based food business has been checked by public health and follows food safety rules. Ensure food is cooked to the proper internal temperatures. Visit Health Canada to view the Safe Internal Cooking Temperatures Chart for proper cooking temperatures of various foods. Reduce your risk of food poisoning by thoroughly cooking your food. Planning ahead and preparing to stay safe during an emergency includes storing your food properly. Learn how to keep food safe during and after a power failure. For a list of current food recalls, food policy, and up-to-date information visit the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. |
Reheating |
| Once food is removed from the fridge, it must be reheated to the original cooking temperature within two hours, except whole poultry which must be reheated to 74°C (165°F). |
Setting up a homebased food premises
If you are planning to start a homebased food business, please visit our food premises page for detailed steps on how to ensure your business meets regulations and is operating safely and legally.