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The Public Health Agency of Canada's FoodNet Canada surveillance system is pleased to present the new annual report. The current report outlines the results of our surveillance activities conducted in 2016.

The Public Health Agency of Canada's (PHAC) FoodNet Canada surveillance system is pleased to present the latest annual report which outlines the results of our surveillance activities conducted in 2018.

Individual surveillance systems have various public health goals and policy objectives. In recent years, the scope of, and our reliance on, surveillance systems have grown significantly in all parts of the world because of globalization and threats of multi-drug resistant bacteria, bioterrorism and pandemics. Many surveillance systems focus on the dynamic pathogens that cause infectious enteric disease in humans. In Canada, steps have been taken to successfully eliminate some of these pathogens, including endemic typhoid fever and cholera, and to significantly reduce the presence of others, including Shigella, in the human population.

The national incidence of foodborne pathogens is actively collected and reported by the National Enteric Surveillance Program (NESP). The NESP has been in operation since April 1997 and is designed to provide timely analysis and reporting of laboratory confirmed enteric disease cases in Canada.

The Human Emerging Respiratory Pathogens (HERP) Bulletin is a monthly publication developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Centre for Immunization and Respiratory Infectious Diseases. The HERP Bulletin serves as a mechanism for information sharing on summary surveillance indicators of global active public health events affecting humans in the field of emerging respiratory pathogens. The HERP Bulletin also provides a quarterly in-depth analysis of a novel emerging respiratory pathogen.

​Over 99.9% of the 5206 samples of pasteurized cheese tested for bacterial pathogens and indicators were satisfactory.

Edible insects were selected to be part of a preliminary survey to gain basic food safety information. Little scientific information is available regarding the control of microbiological pathogens during the rearing and processing of edible insects. A targeted survey analyzed 51 samples of edible insects for microorganisms such as Salmonella and generic Escherichia coli (E. coli). No Salmonella or generic E. coli were found in any of the samples.

The Centre for Biosecurity (the Centre) delivers a national Compliance and Enforcement Program under the Human Pathogens and Toxins Act and the Human Pathogens and Toxins Regulations (HPTR), as well as of certain provisions of the Health of Animals Act and associated regulations (HAA/HAR) in order to promote safety and security with respect to human pathogens, terrestrial animal pathogens (excluding pathogens that cause emerging or foreign animal diseases (FAD), and toxins.

​4331 samples of ready-to-eat meat were tested for bacterial pathogens and indicators. 99.7% of the samples were satisfactory.

​98.9% of the 1165 samples of ready-to-eat fish and seafood tested for bacterial pathogens and indicators were satisfactory.