Food safety behaviours of Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic

Food safety has a significant impact on public health and on our healthcare system. An estimated 4 million Canadians become ill each year due to food-borne illnesses, and many of these illnesses likely result from the mishandling of food in people's homes. "By looking at how Canadians are handling food and practicing hand hygiene during a crisis, we hope to get a better understanding of the reasons why consumers might engage in unsafe behaviours at home," says Ian Young, professor at the School of Occupational and Public Health. Internet-generated solutions are being widely spread, but many are not effective and can actually pose health risks, such as washing produce with soap. "The COVID-19 crisis presents an opportunity to investigate these safety myths among Canadians, which can inform current and future health communication strategies," says Young. Further, reports of consumers stockpiling food raise concerns about adequate storage for perishable products like meat and poultry. Similar panic buying trends have been documented in other emergencies, like during a 2015 snowstorm in New York where power outages affected the ability to keep food safe. "With each crisis event, we can learn how to more effectively communicate food safety strategies so we can lower the risk for Canadians." Also involved in this project are Fatih Sekercioglu and Richard Meldrum, both from the School of Occupational and Public Health.