Every summer, Canadians are reminded that fresh produce, while essential to a healthy diet, can also pose food safety risks. This year’s Cyclospora outbreak in the United States has already sickened more than 1,600 people, making it one of the largest in recent memory. Yet despite its scale, investigators have not identified the specific fruit, vegetable, farm or supplier responsible. Canada’s food regulators have appropriately resisted calls to suspend produce imports because there is simply no scientific evidence pointing to a particular commodity or country of origin. From a regulatory standpoint, that is the right decision. From a communications standpoint, however, we have an opportunity to do much better.
CHARLEBOIS: Food safety needs an AI upgrade
