Canadian Food Inspection Agency
serving
Public Health
Denis Allard MD MSc FRCPC
Senior Medical Advisor
Science Branch, CFIA
Objectives of this Presentation
1. Familiarise you with the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency and
some of its activities related to Public Health
2. Highlight some current and
emerging challenges
3. Discuss partnership and
collaboration with
Public Health community
Our Organisation
CFIA established 1997
to enhance the effectiveness
and efficiency of federal
inspection and related
services for food safety, and
for animal/plant health
Integration inspection activities
of HC, AAFC, DFO, IC
CFIA REGIONAL OFFICES
& LABORATORIES
5,500 employees
18 regional offices
21 laboratories
185 field offices
on > 400 third party premises
CFIA’s 3 business lines

Safe food &
consumer protection
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Animal health
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Plant protection
Enabling Legislation
Canada Agricultural Products Act
Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act
Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act
Penalties Act
Food and Drugs Act
Fish Inspection Act
Health of Animals Act
Meat Inspection Act
Fertilizers Act
Feeds Act
Federally … Safe Food
is a shared responsibility
•CFIA
•Health Canada
•Public Health Agency of Canada
•Fisheries and Oceans
•Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada
•Environment Canada
CFIA Food Continuum
IMPORTS/EXPORTS
Agricultural
Inputs
Production
Processing
DOMESTIC
from farm  to plate
Distribution
Consumption
Food Continuum
Food Safety
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Emergency Response (FIORP)
Food Recalls, Food Safety
Investigations
Import and Domestic Inspection
Nutrition Labeling Verification
Monitoring and Surveillance of Food
Supply (Testing, HACCP, GMPs, GIPs)
Contributing to International
Food Safety Standard Setting
Food Safety Directorate
•BFSCP
•Food Safety Investigation (prevention/correction)
•Fair Labelling Practices
•OFSR
•Food Emergency Response/Recall (reactive)
•Input in FB Illness investigation (HC/PH)
•HACCP support
•FSEP/MPIP/F-QMP/CSSP/OFFSRP
•Food Safety Risk Analysis (input to/from HC)
How the System Works
Surveillance
Food
Source
Targeted Inspection
Product Recall
Outbreak
Food Vehicle
Lessons Learned
Corrective Actions
CFIA Food Safety Investigation Data
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Data capture
• CFIA’s Issues Management System (IMS)
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4,000/yr food safety investigations
Triggers
• complaints, laboratory results, Gov’t depts.
referrals, in-plant observations, etc.
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Implementation of various compliance /
enforcement options at CFIA’s disposal
Proposed Foodborne Outbreak
Investigation Report Template (CFIA)
Cause  Effect
Food Recalls
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Class 1
• serious health consequences or death
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Class 2
• temporary health consequences
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Class 3
• unlikely health consequences
(* in all cases, food products violate one or more Acts enforced by CFIA)
Food Recalls
by Type (mean of 2000-03)
All Classes
Other
Extraneous
Chemical
Allergen
Micro
Class 1
Domestic
Class 1
Imports
0
20
40
60
80
100
%
Average yearly food recalls – Class 1
206
Average yearly food recalls – All classes 408
Food Recalls
by Class (2003-04)
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Class I
Class II
Class III
Food Recalls
by Trigger (2003-04)
35
Percentage
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
CFIA
Client
Consumer
External
Food Recalls
by Type (2003-04)
120
100
80
60
40
20
th
er
s
O
s
an
eo
u
Ex
tr
ic
al
Ch
em
M
ic
ro
Al
le
rg
en
0
Allergens Recalls
by Foodstuff (2003-04)
4
8
Hazelnut
3
12
Wheat
Egg
Tree Nut
4
Gluten
12
Sulphites
21
Milk
10
Soy
2
10
Sesame Seeds
19
Peanut
Other
TOTAL: 105
April 29, 2004
Microbiological Incidents &
Recalls (2003-04)
3
Undetermined
Total Incidents: 41
3
7
Quality Molds
5
Salmonella
55
14
3
S. aureus
3
1
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
3
2
Pathogenic - Other
2
6
Listeria
6
2
E. coli 0157:H7
3
3
E. coli
3
2
C. botulinum
4
1
Other
1
6
Container Integrity - Low Acid
6
0
April 29, 2004
Total Recalls:
7
5
10
15
Chemical Incidents & Recalls
(2003-04)
6
6
Trace Elements
24
Toxin
26
11
Residues
14
10
Other
11
Incidents:
86
Recalls:
96
18
Heavy Metals
19
10
Drug Residues
11
7
Additives
9
0
April 29, 2004
5
10
15
20
25
30
Public Warnings
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Issued for most Class I recalls
May be issued for other classes
Reserved for those situations deemed
to be of higher risk to consumers
• examples: undeclared allergens, botulism
risk, Salmonella, E.coli 0157, pieces of
glass in baby food
* Web-site posting and e-mail distribution list
Consumer Education and
Public Awareness Programs
- Animal Health -
Public Health related activities
• control and eradication of
- traditional zoonotic diseases (TB, brucella, rabies)
- new and emerging diseases (WNV; AI … SARS?)
• therapeutant residue
mitigating/monitoring
• policy/management of
(A-M, H, …)
- animal health issues (within federal mandate)
- recycling of agricultural byproducts through
feed and fertilizers into the food chain
- environmental concerns (disposal, …)
- Animal Health Prevention of Foreign Animal Diseases
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Surveillance
• passive (producers, priv.vets, F/P labs, vet. colleges, PH)
• active (sentinel systems, pro-active testing)
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Reporting of Notifiable Animal Diseases
• International (OIE, PROMED AHEAD)
• Domestic (Health of Animals Act)
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Risk Analysis (importation)
Import Controls
On-Farm Biosecurity(& traceability)
* Can. Health of Animals Network http://www.cahnet.org/
Surveillance - Reportable Diseases
Schedule II - Health of Animals Act
1. African horse sickness
2. African swine fever
3. Anaplasmosis
4. Anthrax
5. Bluetongue
6. BSE
7. Bovine Tb (M. bovis)
8. Brucellosis
9. Chronic Wasting Disease
10. Contagious bovine pl-pneumonia
11. Contagious equine metritis
12. Cysticercosis
13. Equine Infectious Anemia
14. Equine piroplasmosis
15. Foot and Mouth Disease
16. Fowl typhoid (S gallinarum)
17. H P Avian influenza
18. Classical swine fever
19. Lumpy skin disease
20. Newcastle Disease
21. Peste des petits ruminants
22. Pseudorabies
23. Pullorum disease (S. pullorum)
24. Rabies
25. Rift valley fever
26. Rinderpest
27. Scrapie
28. Sheep and goat pox
29. Swine vesicular disease
30. Trichinellosis
31. Venezuelan equine encephalitis
32. Vesicular stomatitis
Emerging Zoonotic Diseases
(non-foodborne)
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Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers (1960s )
Lyme Disease (~1975)
AIDS/HIV (1978)
Hanta (1993)
Hendra (1994)
TSEs (1996)
Nipah (1999)
West Nile (1937/1950s/1999)
Avian Influenza (1997/2004)
Monkeypox (1970 …2003)
SARS/Coronavirus (2003)
Bio-terrorism (Anthrax …)
Role of Animals
(Livestock, Pets, Wildlife)
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Reservoirs
Amplifier Host
Link Host
Incidental Host
Shedder
Sentinel
Avian Influenza Outbreak
BC Coast – 2004
Animal Epidemiology Unit
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Monitor changes in infectious/toxic agents
Define a problem/Detect outbreaks
Estimate magnitude of the problem
Determine geographic distribution of illness
Generate hypotheses
Stimulate research
Describe the natural history of a disease
Evaluate effectiveness of control measures
Detect effect of changes in practices
Facilitate planning/risk-based prioritysetting
May
Laboratory Confirmation
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Production Type # of Farms
Broiler Breeder
13
Turkey Hatching
1
Broilers
9
Leghorn Breeder
1
Squab
1
Table Egg
1
Layers
2
Layers/Pullets
6
Asian Meat Birds
2
Turkey
1
Turkey
Layers/Pullets
1
Peking Duck
3
Turkeys/Layers
1
Duck & Geese
2
Total
Backyard Flocks
HPAI 2004
Port
Coquitlam
Surrey
42
11
Abbotsford
Commercial - Matrix Positive
Commercial - Isolation Positive
Backyard
Surveillance Activities
AI Control Area – Hot Spots
Avian Influenza in BC
Epidemiologic Investigation
Routes of virus transmission?
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Tools
 veterinary visit & questionnaire
 follow-up on movements of risk products (eggs, …)
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Transmission routes investigated …
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waterborne (ground and surface water)
feed
hatcheries
wild birds
CFIA crews
litter
aerosol dispersion
service providers (owners, workers, equipment …)
Some Disease Control Strategies
Used in Animal Disease Outbreak
•
Destruction (‘stamping-out’)
• CO2, electrocution, others
• ensure ‘humane’ culling
• Movement control /Quarantine
•
Disposal
•landfill, incineration,
composting, rendering
•easier to arrange once
emergency powers invoked
• Cleaning & Disinfection
◦ manure, structure
Human Health Protection
OSH considerations
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Health screening (suitability)
Information/Training
Protective clothing
Personal Hygiene
Health surveillance / reporting / ff-up
Prophylactic meds / vaccination
PH considerations
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Exposure / bio-security issues
Health surveillance / CD control
Need for
increasing collaboration
between
CFIA and its partners
Increasing Challenges for CFIA
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
global distribution (food, livestock, pets, feed, seeds)
intensive farming /new technologies
changes in consumption and eating patterns
consumer expectations/practices
effects of global warming (insect vectors; ecology)
speed and scope of international travel
increasing susceptibility of large segments of the
population (e.g. compromised immunity; allergies)
• public demand for transparency and involvement
Emergence of Foodborne Pathogens
1900
• Botulism toxin
• Brucella
• Vibrio cholera
• Hepatitis A
• Staph toxin
• M. tuberculosis
• S. typhoid
1970s 
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Campylobacter jejuni
Salmonella Enteritidis
Shiga-toxigenic E. coli
Listeria monocytogenes
Clostridium botulinum (infant)
Vibrio parahemolytici/vulnificus
Yersinia enterocolitica
Giardia lamblia
Toxoplasma gondii
Cryptosporidium parvum
Cyclospora cayetanensis
Hepatitis E
Noroviruses
BSE prion
…
Increasing food vehicles: ground beef, poultry, shellfish,
veggies (sprouts, salads), fruits (cantaloup, berries, juice),
dairy (ice cream), imports (halva, chocolates), irrigation water
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Agent
Factors in Emergence
of Zoonoses
• Microbial adaptation & change • Socio-economic
Host (human)
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economic development
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intensive farming/husbandry
• Demographics
• Susceptibility to infection, Famine  international travel & trade
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breakdown in PH measures
• Behaviour (hygiene, outdoors,
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poverty & social inequality
pets, …)
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Environment
• Physical
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war and bioterrorism
• Political
climate and weather
changing eco-systems (vectors)
land use /encroachment
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lack of will
disruption in leadership
Threat of bio-terrorism
Our world
changed
forever
on
September 11, 2001
When new foodborne disease identified
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What is the nature of the disease?
What is the nature of the pathogen?
Simple ways to easily identify the pathogen and
diagnose the disease?
What is the incidence of the infection?
How can the disease be treated?
Which foods transmit the infection?
How pathogen gets into the food, and how well it
persists there?
Is there an animal reservoir?
How do the animals themselves become infected?
How can the disease be prevented?
Does the prevention strategy work?
Tauxe R., Emerging Foodborne Diseases: An Evolving PH Challenge, CDC 1997
Guidelines for
Research on Zoonoses
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Identify the source of infection, to determine
whether it is from wildlife, domestic or peridomestic animals, or from multiple sources;
Establish the mode of transmission, to determine
whether it is by direct contact, vectorborne,
environmental contamination, or a combination of
modes;
Identify potential host species and the natural
reservoirs of the zoonotic pathogen, possibly with
molecular and/or epidemiological methods;
Conduct preliminary surveys of target species and
follow-up, when indicated, with long-term
ecological and epidemiological studies of identified
reservoir species in the wild and/or in an
experimental setting where appropriate.
from Report on WHO/FAO/OIE consultation May 2004
Scientific Collaboration
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Ecology
Economics
Entomology
Epidemiology
Biostatistics
Environmental Health
Occupational Medicine
Pathology (human & animal)
Behavioural Science (human & animal)
Clinical Medicine (Human and Vet.)
Public Health practice (Human and Vet.)
Regulatory, Wildlife, & Agricultural Sciences
CFIA Partnerships
• Other federal depts (HC/PHAC, AAFC, DFO, EC)
• Provincial gov’ts (Health, Agric., Fish., NR, Env)
• Int’nal Orgs (WHO, FAO, OIE), and other countries
• Food industry (production and processing)
• Food retail and food service sectors
• Trade associations
• Med/Vet practitioners and professional ass’ns
• Academia
• School system
• Mass media
• Consumer associations and consumers
* Counter-terrorism aspects (RCMP, CSIS, PSEP)
Opportunities for Collaboration
between CFIA and PH Community
on Foodborne Illness and Zoonosis
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Data exchange/integration
Expertise exchange
Enforcement
Industry education/training
OSH considerations
Public information
Joint training (e.g. epi)
Research (e.g. strains, spread)
Human/Animal Interface
CFIA’s Senior Medical Advisor
* Areas of involvement …

Food safety, foodborne infections, zoonoses
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Strategies to address Risk communication/perception

Standards, regulations, legislation, agreements
The Plague Doctor
* Liaison with
• Health Canada (esp.FD) and PH Agency of Canada
• Provincial/Regional Public Health officials
• Health professionals (PH and clinical)
• other national and international bodies (US, EU, WHO)
• Consumer groups
* Advice/Assistance in
• Canada-wide surveillance systems
• Inter-departmental/jurisdiction information exchange
• Issues/Risk management
Questions/Comments?