Microbiological testing of foodborne and waterborne microbial hazards in retail meat products and water samples

FoodNet Canada (FNC) and CIPARS are operationally linked surveillance programs undertaken by PHAC to conduct coordinated surveillance and research on foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistance across the food continuum. To enhance operational efficiency and support integrated analysis, FNC and CIPARS share infrastructure, including sampling protocols, data management systems, and analytical resources. The joint retail food surveillance activities generate baseline data on the prevalence and levels of foodborne pathogens – such as Campylobacter, Salmonella spp., generic E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes – as well as AMR data from retail meat sources. In addition to retail sampling, water samples – from surface water, irrigation ditches, and recreational sources – are collected as part of the FNC water surveillance component to generate baseline data of enteric pathogens and AMR from environmental exposures. The work will be to generate critical, high-quality retail meat and water data that contributes directly to national surveillance systems by enabling integrated analyses across human, animal, food and environmental sources.