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.
Last updated
Overview
Preventing foodborne illness
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:
Preventing waterborne illness
Learn how water quality is regulated in B.C. and when extra steps are needed to make water safe:
Environmental contaminants
Exposure to certain levels of environmental contaminants, like mercury and lead, can harm your health over time. Take steps to reduce your risk:
Emergency preparedness
Learn how to plan for emergencies like wildfires, floods, storms or earthquakes:
