The development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious public health threat that can turn into a global crisis if not mitigated. AMR reduces our ability to effectively combat infectious bacterial diseases and is becoming a relevant concern in food safety and sanitation. Environmental foodborne pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, can develop stress response mechanisms that impact AMR, with implications for cleaning and sanitizing programs in the food industry. Understanding how food processing environments and associated activities impact the development of AMR is thus extremely important.

In addition to an ongoing issue with lack of clear terminology to characterize AMR, there is a need for standardization in the methodology and definitions of sanitizer resistance, tolerance, and susceptibility. An ongoing challenge is that different messages are conveyed in different research studies, with the translation to industry implications often being lost.…

Presenter: Lorraine McIntyre (Food Safety Specialist with Environmental Health Services at the BC Centre for Disease Control)

Kombucha is a fermented tea considered to be a healthy alternative to sugary soda drinks but may contain residual alcohol from the multi-step fermentation process that converts sugar to alcohol. Alcohol (ethanol) levels in kombucha beverages from samples collected through-out BC were assessed for compliance with BC regulations (non-alcoholic beverages should contain <1% ABV). Ethanol was detected by head-space gas chromatography mass spectroscopy at the Natural Health Products laboratory at BCIT. In total, 684 samples from 53 producers were collected at 142 premises from retail, restaurant, processor, farmers’ markets and other locations. Overall, 31.5% of samples had ethanol levels that exceeded the regulations (the highest level was found in restaurant kombucha at 3.62% ABV). The final report contains recommendations for alcohol control during…

Outbreaks of infectious foodborne diseases continue to affect populations across Canada, with potentially severe impacts on susceptible groups such as children, older adults, immune compromised individuals, and pregnant women. While some outbreaks can be rapidly attributed to localized sources that can be easily contained, globalized food systems are leading to much larger and more complex outbreaks that can be challenging to investigate. Under ideal circumstances, multiple interdisciplinary stakeholders work together to (1) identify the affected individuals and common exposures, (2) isolate the specific pathogen, (3) find the food source(s), (4) contain the outbreak, and (5) communicate investigative information to health partners and the public. Investigative models considers information from three sources: laboratory, epidemiological and food safety investigations. This presentation will summarize the findings of three reports aimed at supporting effective multidisciplinary…

This research on healthy northern environments has an emphasis on community action, self-determination, and knowledge sharing, to better understand the intersections between food security, climate change, and Indigenous communities in northern regions within Canada. The team of northern communities, partners, and governments engages on interdisciplinary, community-based, and collaborative food system projects. This webinar will share past and ongoing case studies to evaluate community-led food system initiatives in the Northwest Territories and their links to environmental health, policy, and health and risk communication.  

Dr. Kelly Skinner is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo and was awarded a CIHR-PHAC Applied Public Health Chair in 2022. This Chair has an emphasis on community action, self-determination, and knowledge sharing, to better understand the intersections between food security, climate change, and…

Food systems are the complex web of activities and interactions that include food production, transportation, processing, retailing, preparation, and finally disposal. While these food systems are generally thought of as largely agricultural or rural, Pothukuchi and Kaufman’s landmark paper in 1999 highlighted the importance of urban food systems in particular, and encouraged urban planners to incorporate food system considerations into municipal and regional plans. Areas of focus included: preserving agricultural land, preventing and processing food waste, environmental outcomes related to food production, processing, distribution, and storage, and ensuring adequate access to healthy food. This webinar will be an overview of food system planning interventions that have been implemented and evaluated since 1999, with a specific focus on outcomes related to environmental sustainability, economic development, availability of healthy food, individual food behaviours, and nutrition-…

The NCCEH Environmental Health Seminar Series provides an opportunity for learning and knowledge exchange on a variety of environmental health topics. The seminars can be attended in-person or online.

This seminar highlighted three student research projects from the BCIT Environmental Health Program.

Titles:

The BCCDC/NCCEH Environmental Health Seminar Series provides an opportunity for learning and knowledge exchange on a variety of environmental health topics. The seminars can be attended in-person or online.

Speakers:  Casey Neathway, Interior Regional Manager of Environmental Public Health Services, First Nations Health Authority Leela Steiner, Environmental Health and Knowledge Translation Scientist, NCCEH

Summary: Indigenous people have long relied on traditional foods, as they are nutritionally, culturally, and economically important to individuals and communities, and are an important aspect of food sovereignty. As the climate changes and as other environmental stressors begin to amplify, many Indigenous people and communities are pursuing ways to both strengthen their connections with local land and food systems and bolster their ability to produce and retain traditional foods. This webinar presents evidence on six unique food safety issues, based on adaptation…

The BCCDC/NCCEH Environmental Health Seminar Series provides an opportunity for learning and knowledge exchange on a variety of environmental health topics. The seminars can be attended in-person or online.

Speaker: Shirra Freeman, Environmental Health and Knowledge Translation Scientist, NCCEH

Summary: Plastics are emerging as an important environmental public health (EPH) issue. Within this issue, the safety of plastic food contact articles (PFCA) is especially important for EPH practice. PFCA are designed to safeguard the quality and safety of food and are used extensively in food service and retail settings. Plastic packages, utensils, surfaces, equipment and components provide cost-efficient, convenient solutions for handling, processing, preparing and serving food. The main safety concern is that under certain conditions, toxic chemicals may leach from PFCA into foods, exposing consumers to health risks.

While guidelines for physical and microbial…

The BCCDC/NCCEH Environmental Health Seminar Series provides an opportunity for learning and knowledge exchange on a variety of environmental health topics. The seminars can be attended in-person or online.

The June 29, 2018 Environmental Health Seminar highlighted three student research projects from the BCIT Environmental Health program: 

Presentation 1: An Evaluation of the Knowledge and Practices of Metro Vancouver Residents Regarding Mould

Speaker: Chloe LeTourneau-Paci, Student, BCIT Environmental Health Program

Summary: The average Canadian spends approximately 90% of their day indoors, a proportion of which may be in public spaces, thereby making Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), and its subsequent effects on health, a pertinent topic for the fields of Public and Environmental Health.This study evaluated the public perception of Metro Vancouver residents in regards to mould as an IAQ issue in order to provide Public and Environmental…

This presentation was originally delivered at TOPHC 2018 in Toronto, ON.