Last updated: December 13, 2024

Food and water contaminated with bacteria, parasites, viruses, chemicals or toxins can make us sick. Learn about food and water safety and how to prepare for emergencies.

Follow general food safety precautions to help lower your risk of illness:

• Food safety: Easy ways to make food safer (HealthLinkBC File #59a)
• Food safety for vulnerable populations (Government of Canada)
• How to read food date labels and packaging (Government of Canada)
• Produce safety (Government of Canada)
• Home canning - How to avoid botulism (HealthLinkBC File #22)
• Pasteurized and raw milk (HealthLinkBC File #03)
• Unpasteurized fruit juices and ciders: A Potential health risk (HealthLinkBC File #72)
• Food recalls and alerts (Government of Canada)

Find out about specific foodborne illnesses and how to prevent them:

• Campylobacter infection (HealthLinkBC File #58)
• E.coli infection (HealthLinkBC File #02)
• Listeriosis (HealthLinkBC File #75)
• Salmonellosis (HealthLinkBC File #17)
• Toxoplasmosis (HealthLinkBC File #43)
• Marine toxins

Learn how water quality is regulated in B.C. and when extra steps are needed to make water safe:

• Drinking water
• Waterborne infections in British Columbia (HealthLinkBC File #49a)
• Disinfecting drinking water (HealthLinkBC File #49b) 
• Well water testing (HealthLinkBC File #05b) 
• Drinking water safety program (First Nations Health Authority)

Exposure to certain levels of environmental contaminants, like mercury and lead, can harm your health over time. Take steps to reduce your risk:

• Lead in drinking water (HealthLinkBC File #49e)
• Mercury in fish (Government of Canada)
• Environmental contaminants (Government of Canada)

Learn how to plan for emergencies like wildfires, floods, storms or earthquakes:

• Feeding your baby in emergencies (HealthLinkBC File #69g)
• Emergency preparation and recovery (Prepared BC)
• Food and drinking water safety in an emergency (Government of Canada) 
• Health emergency management (First Nations Health Authority)