TORONTO - The Canadian Food Safety Institute, a not-for profit organization that is dedicated to the integrity and standard of the Canadian food chain, has joined with the CFSRC to conduct local safety checks at Ontario food service establishments.

"We need to be proactive about the safety and quality of our food, not reactive. This is what leads to a nonchalant attitude about the importance of safe food practices, and inevitably ends up making people sick, or worse," says Greg Thompson, spokesperson for both organizations.

The Canadian Food Safety Institute is the recognized leader in Professional Food Safety Training, offering online and in-class solutions for Food Safety Technicians, Food Safety Inspectors, and more. Graduates are qualified to deal with a wide array of safety issues, and are putting much of their learning to use in the field, as the need for non-government action in the arena of food safety has been an obvious necessity for some time now. The misconception that the government is the only party capable of implementation has lead to an unhealthy 'Monopoly' over food safety. All of this, along with the over politicization of food safety in general has taken its toll on the public. Unbeknownst to many, there are some restaurants and food service organizations that are teeming with safety hazards, including the infestation of rodents, and harmful microscopic bacteria. In many cases, the local health department is unaware of the issues until the last minute, and in some cases, it takes a phone call from the public to notify them, like the recent case of the rodent infestation at the Toronto Loblaws this January.

A Toronto Health Board inspector was called by a customer who had spotted a rodent in the store. Many are seeking reassurances that measures are being taken to prevent these types of occurrences, and are asking why the public had to alert the inspectors themselves on this occasion, and many more. In October, 2008, despite passing a municipal health inspection just days earlier, one of Toronto's most popular Chinese restaurants, Happy Seven was found to be home to at least three rats, running free inside the dining room. The more recent outbreak of E. coli in North Bay, Ont., that was traced to a Harveys restaurant, and made at least 7 people ill, is another sobering reminder of the need for more action. Feedback from CFSRC Safety Technicians who have visited locations across Ontario have reported that some restaurants are "frightened" by the prospect of a safety check.

"Although Local Health departments conduct an annual inspection, that inspection, followed by an appearance inspection after a patron discovered a safety risk, is not sufficiently addressing the safety needs of the public," says Thompson. "This is where we have to step in." A CFSRC safety check takes approximately 10 minutes to conduct, and consists of a test for e-coli, and other harmful bacteria. The trained technician will also conduct a visual inspection for the presence of any rodents or other immediate safety concern. The compiled data will soon be available to the public in a free online database of food service establishments, along with individual test results, which will highlight establishments of concern, or who have refused testing, as well as showcase those who are operating in an overall safe manner. "The CFSRC is not limited to the municipal boundaries which may actually impede the best efforts of municipal health units," says Thompson. "Our initiative is Canada wide, and is free for the consumer. Our goal is to ensure that you are eating food that you can trust."