The cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to fresh produce in the United States is raising concerns in Canada about the safety of imported food. While Canada has seen some recent cases of cyclosporiasis, officials say there is no link with the U.S. outbreak.
The outbreak has drawn attention to public health advice encouraging Canadians to consume fresh produce grown in Canada. While this advice isn’t new, the outbreak highlights two related but distinct issues: food safety, which focuses on reducing the risk of food-borne illness and preventing animal health diseases, and food security, which regards whether Canada’s food system can respond if demand for domestic products suddenly increased.
