Open Government Portal

Learn about the Canadian Total Diet Study (https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/food-nutrition-surveillance/canadian-total-diet-study.html)

Search through Health Canada's food contaminant data on CANLINE (https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/01c12f93-d14c-4005-b671-e40030a3aa2c)

The determination of the trace element concentrations in food is important for consumer safety. Trace elements are metals that are present in low concentrations in air, water and soil. Thirty-four trace elements are commonly measured in TDS food sample composites. Although mercury and fluoride measurement results are not available on the open data portal, they can be found in the references below.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of industrial chemicals that were used in a wide variety of applications including transformer oils, paints, and lubricants. PCBs are lipophilic compounds and accumulate in the tissues of biological organisms and bioconcentrate through the food chain. These compounds are thermally stable, persist in the environment and are subject to long-range transport. Canadian regulations related to PCBs came into force in 2008, which limit the release of these chemicals to the environment.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used in the production of polycarbonate (PC) and epoxy resins. PC is used in food storage containers such as water bottles, and epoxy resins are used in the internal coating for food and beverage cans to protect the food from direct contact with metal. Under certain conditions, small amounts of BPA can migrate from PC plastic containers and cans with epoxy coating into foods, especially at elevated temperatures. BPA is an endocrine disruptor, and mimics the action of the hormone estrogen, although its potency is orders of magnitude lower than endogenous estrogens.

Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is also present in the environment as a result of human activities. Water bodies can be contaminated with mercury from industrial sources, such as pulp and paper mills, and from the soil when large reservoirs are created by hydro-electric dams. Methyl mercury is considered the most toxic form of mercury to human health and is formed when bacteria interact with mercury present in water and plants. Methyl mercury accumulates up the food chain, and predatory fish generally represent the main source of exposure from the diet.

Radionuclides are elements that release energy called radiation. Radionuclides originate from both natural (e.g. soil and rock) and artificial (e.g. certain industrial, military and medical applications) sources (https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-risks-safety/radiation/types-sources/environmental.html).

Health Canada has notified Abbott Laboratories that it has no objection to the sale of their meal replacements and formulated liquid diets with added calcium 3-hydroxy-3-methyl butyrate monohydrate (CaHMB), manufactured as characterized in the information provided to the Food Directorate. The Food Directorate (FD) has conducted the safety assessments according to its Guidelines for the Safety Assessment of Novel Foods.

Targeted surveys are used by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to focus its surveillance activities on areas of highest health risk. The information gained from these surveys provides support for the allocation and prioritization of the Agency’s activities to areas of greater concern. Originally started as a project under the Food Safety Action Plan (FSAP), targeted surveys have been embedded in the CFIA’s regular surveillance activities since 2013. Targeted surveys are a valuable tool for generating information on certain hazards in foods, identifying and characterizing new and emerging hazards, informing trend analysis, prompting and refining health risk assessments, highlighting potential contamination issues, as well as assessing and promoting compliance with Canadian regulations.

Targeted surveys are used by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to focus its surveillance activities on areas of highest health risk. The information gained from these surveys provides support for the allocation and prioritization of the Agency’s activities to areas of greater concern. Originally started as a project under the Food Safety Action Plan (FSAP), targeted surveys have been embedded in the CFIA’s regular surveillance activities since 2013. Targeted surveys are a valuable tool for generating information on certain hazards in foods, identifying and characterizing new and emerging hazards, informing trend analysis, prompting and refining health risk assessments, highlighting potential contamination issues, as well as assessing and promoting compliance with Canadian regulations.

Targeted surveys are used by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to focus its surveillance activities on areas of highest health risk. The information gained from these surveys provides support for the allocation and prioritization of the Agency’s activities to areas of greater concern. Originally started as a project under the Food Safety Action Plan (FSAP), targeted surveys have been embedded in the CFIA’s regular surveillance activities since 2013. Targeted surveys are a valuable tool for generating information on certain hazards in foods, identifying and characterizing new and emerging hazards, informing trend analysis, prompting and refining health risk assessments, highlighting potential contamination issues, as well as assessing and promoting compliance with Canadian regulations.