Inspect and Protect

In this podcast episode, we bust popular myths about food poisoning with 2 epidemiologists, Tanis Kershaw and Courtney Smith, from the Public Health Agency of Canada. Subscribe to food recalls and alerts: https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en

Behind every outbreak of food poisoning, a team of detectives works around the clock to pinpoint the source. This podcast episode, 4 experts from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, explain how they connect the dots to save lives. Subscribe to food recalls and alerts: https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en

You've finally gathered the courage to clean up your fridge or pantry, but how do you know what to keep or chuck? In this podcast, labelling expert Laura Reid helps us understand the different dates on our foods. We also hear from Sophie Langlois-Blouin, Vice-President of RECYC Québec, about food waste in Canada.

Crickets have attracted global interest for their sustainable farming potential. And yet, so few of us have hopped on to this protein trend. In this podcast, we explore the edible insect landscape in Canada with food trend expert Dana McCauley.

Earlier this year, we asked for your questions. This podcast, we answer them! We reached out to experts across the country to get answers about travelling with food, alcohol labelling, pet food, chicken hatcheries, allergen recalls and much more.

There’s a sticky situation out there. In this podcast, we discuss honey adulteration with Jake Berg, a Saskatchewanian beekeeper, and Carmen Leung, a policy and program leader at the CFIA. This episode is a collaboration on adulterated honey with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s podcast, The First Sixteen. Bee sure to catch their episode as well: https://agriculture.agr.gc.ca/en/agri-info/first-sixteen-podcast/first-sixteen-podcast-ep-021

Famous for their fragrant aroma, Canada’s Christmas trees are sold in the millions across the world. In this episode, we branch out into this booming industry through the lens of a veteran CFIA tree inspector in Nova Scotia. Malcom Pelley explains the care that farmers across the country put into growing, selling and exporting these soon-to-be festively illuminated trees.

Brilliant minds studying the world’s most dangerous pathogens may seem like science fiction, but the scientists who protect us from bio-threats are very real. In this episode, we learn about a network that connects laboratories across the world to study deadly viruses like COVID-19, Ebola and Anthrax. What is it like to be one of these scientists, working in Canada’s highest containment laboratory? Learn more about our guests: Dr. Primal Silva, Chief Science Operating Officer and Science Integrity Lead, CFIA https://inspection.canada.ca/about-cfia/organizational-structure/chief-science-operating-officer-and-science-integr/eng/1636562227924/1636562228283 Dr. Brad Pickering, Special Pathogens Unit Head, Winnipeg Laboratory, CFIA https://profils-profiles.science.gc.ca/en/profile/brad-s-pickering-phd Dr. Debbie Eagles, Deputy Director, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness https://pheedloop.com/bsl4znet2021/site/speakers/?event=bsl4znet2021&section=97078&id=SPEGHWKVDNA

“It's a tiny wasp, you know, the tip of a pin size. And it comes along, finds an emerald ash borer egg and lays its egg inside that egg. And then it hatches and emerges as a wasp. What we say is, if you've ever seen the movie Alien, where the thing comes bursting out of the dude's chest…that's how parasitoids work.” ― Chris MacQuarrie, Research scientist for the Canadian Forest Service at Natural Resources Canada Since its arrival in North America in 2002, the emerald ash borer has killed millions of ash trees, with billions more at risk. To mitigate the damage, Canadian scientists have released 100,000 parasitic wasps into the wild. In this two-part series with Natural Resources Canada, we dive into the fascinating science of biological control agents: bugs fighting bugs. Simply Science podcast (Natural Resources Canada): Who can take on the spruce budworm? https://nrcan.canada.ca/simply-science/who-can-take-on-the-spruce-budworm/23893

African swine fever, a deadly disease that impacts only pigs, is spreading rapidly across the globe. Luckily, it has never been detected in Canada. In this episode, we hear about the unprecedented efforts being made to prevent this fatal animal disease from entering the country and to protect our $24 billion pork industry.

Ever find something unexpected in your food... like bugs, plastic or glass? Listen to our conversation with food safety specialist Fred Jamieson as he shares his strangest finds, how these issues happen, and why it's important to report your concerns.

You don’t consider yourself a scientist? Think again. We all have a role to play in protecting the plants and trees in our gardens, parks and neighbourhoods. We spoke with Dr. Pierre Bilodeau about why it’s important to report unusual sightings to the CFIA, and how apps can help you make discoveries in your own backyard.

Welcome to the CFIA's official podcast all about food safety and plant and animal health. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode.