Infographic: Food-related illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths in Canada

• 1 in 8 people (4 million Canadians) get sick each year from contaminated food.
• Over 11,500 hospitalizations and 240 deaths occur each year due to food-related illnesses.
• Numbers includes both estimates for 30 foodborne pathogens and unknown causes of acute gastrointestinal illness.

The common culprits in Canada (and estimated number each year) are:

• Norovirus: The leading cause of food-borne illnesses and hospitalizations.
  • Illnesses: 1 million
  • Hospitalizations: 1,180
  • Deaths: 21
• Listeria: The leading cause of deaths related to food-borne illness each year.
  • Illnesses: 178
  • Hospitalizations: 150
  • Deaths: 35
• Salmonella: Contributes to 1 in 4 hospitalizations of all food-borne illnesses.
  • Illnesses: 88,000
  • Hospitalizations: 925
  • Deaths: 17
• E. Coli O157: One of the top food-borne bacteria causing severe illness.
  • Illnesses: 12,800
  • Hospitalizations: 245
  • Deaths: 8
• Campylobacter: The third leading cause of food-borne illnesses and hospitalizations.
  • Illnesses: 145,000
  • Hospitalizations: 565
  • Deaths: 5

Food safety tips:

• Clean your hands, kitchen surfaces and utensils with warm, soapy water.
• Separate raw foods, like meat and eggs, from cooked foods, fruit and veggies to avoid cross-contamination.
• Cook food to safe internal temperatures – use a digital food thermometer.
• Chill food and leftovers within 2 hours.

For more information, visit Canada.ca/FoodSafety