Meeting Date: February 6, 2019
Report No.: BH.01.FEB0619.C04
Prepared By: Jessica Morris, Manager, Environmental Health
Approved By: Christopher Beveridge, Director, Health Protection
Submitted By and Signature: Dr. Nicola J. Mercer, MD, MBA, MPH, FRCPC Medical Officer of Health & CEO
Key Points
The Food Safety program conducts annual inspections and investigations based on risk throughout the year.
- Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) staff investigate all reports of foodborne illness and inspect all complaints regarding food premises.
- Food handler training courses are offered each month in Guelph, Orangeville and Fergus. School-based food handler training and proctoring of food handler examinations are also conducted, as requested.
- All compliance inspections and complaint investigations reports are publically available on the Check Before You Choose website.
Strategic Directions & Goals
Service Centred Approach - We are committed to providing excellent service to anyone interacting with public health.
- We will increase community awareness of public health programs and services.
- We will improve access to public health programs and services while enhancing the client experience.
Building Healthy Communities - We will work with communities to support the health and well-being of everyone.
- We will enhance our understanding of the local needs and priorities of the communities we serve and develop programs and services in response to those needs.
- We will promote healthy environments that support physical and mental health and well-being.
- We will have an understanding of health equity and apply it in our work.
Operational Plan Objectives
- To improve health and quality of life
- Reduced morbidity and mortality
- Reducing health inequities among population groups
Summary of OPHS Program Requirements
OPHS Program: Food Safety
Goals:
- To prevent or reduce the burden of food-borne illness.
Strategy:
- Health Protection
- Disease Prevention
- Surveillance
Requirements:
- Conduct surveillance of suspected and confirmed food-borne illnesses, food premises, and food for public consumption.
- Conduct epidemiological analysis of surveillance data including monitoring of trends over time, emerging trends, and priority populations.
- Ensure food handlers in food premises have access to safe food-handling training.
- Increase public awareness of food-borne illnesses and safe food-handling.
- Provide 24/7 availability to receive reports of and respond to food safety needs.
|
2018 Food Safety Performance Indicator |
2018 Year End Actual |
Comments |
|---|---|---|
|
Food Premise Inspection Completion Rates |
99.9% |
Completion of all risk categories |
|
High Risk |
100% |
Completed |
|
Moderate Risk |
99% |
Administrative error due to seasonal variation of open food premises |
|
Low Risk |
99% |
Administrative error due to seasonal variation of open food premises |
|
# of food safety complaints investigated |
131 | |
|
# of food handlers certified in food safety |
1375 |
|
|
# of reported cases of foodborne illness |
387 |
Cases of enteric illness, which may or may not been foodborne. |
|
% reported cases of foodborne illness attributed to exposure settings of (i.e. food premises, daycares, homes, etc.) |
82.2% |
Based on risk factors identified during client follow-up/interview. |
|
% foodborne illness caused by unsafe food handling at home |
17.8% |
Based on risk factors identified during client follow-up/interview (poor hand hygiene, improper food preparation/handling) |
Performance variance or discrepancy identified:
- Yes – Moderate and Low risk food premises not 100% completed due to an administrative error tracking seasonal food premises to be inspected. As a result two moderate risk premise missed an inspection and one low risk premises missed an inspection.
Highlights
WDGPH staff investigate all reports of foodborne illness and inspect all complaints regarding food premises. All public food service premises are inspected based on risk throughout the year. Food handler training courses are offered each month to ensure food handlers in food premises have access to safe food-handling training and to increase public awareness of food-borne illnesses and safe food-handling. The Food Safety program also has 24/7 on-call availability capacity to receive reports of and respond to food safety needs in the community after normal working hours.
