Alberta's proposed measures to improve food safety don’t go far enough, advocates say

Article By Kelsea Arnett Published Nov. 29, 2025
Article Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/provincial-food-safety-rules-not-enough-advocates-9.6997714

New rules in Bill 11 stem from 2023 E. coli outbreak at Calgary child-care facilities

It’s been just over two years since Sarah MacDonald’s four-year-old son was hospitalized with E. coli after contracting the harmful bacteria in the 2023 outbreak at several Calgary child-care facilities.

MacDonald’s son, now six, was diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition that can damage blood vessels and cause life-threatening kidney failure.

She said the experience was distressing for her son, and he’ll face doctor visits well into his teens to monitor his kidneys.

“We did quite a lot of therapy to deal with the trauma,” MacDonald said. “He's doing a lot better now that he's done quite a bit of processing of what happened to him, and has more understanding and just less fear.”

In a bill tabled earlier this week, the Alberta government proposed changes to the Public Health Act to improve food safety rules and better enforce regulations, based on recommendations from an Alberta Health Services report following the outbreak.

The report found the outbreak stemmed from contaminated meatloaf prepared at catering company Fueling Minds Inc.

The company admitted to operating without a food services business license, and received a $10,000 fine.

Cracking down on repeat violations

In addition to provisions to toughen food safety rules and enhance transparency in food inspection reporting, Bill 11 also seeks to create a specialized public investigative team with enhanced enforcement abilities, such as stronger fines and harsher penalties for egregious and repeat offenders. 

In a statement, the Ministry of Primary and Preventative Health Services said the investigative team would be designated as peace officers, with the ability to issue tickets and administrative penalties up to $10,000 per violation. 

Under the new law, food establishments and child-care facilities would also be required to post printed and digital copies of their most recent inspection reports, with contact information for complaints.

“The province is exploring ways to provide additional clarity and accessibility of inspection results, including options such as a colour-coded system and public signage displayed in a conspicuous location,” the statement added.

“This would allow the public to quickly see the relative risk or compliance status of a facility, helping Albertans make informed decisions while maintaining transparency and accountability.”

Calls for more action

Food safety consultant Kouadio Bedie said while the changes in the bill are a good thing, they're overdue.

“From 2023 until now, the old system is still working and that mistake can still happen,” he said. 

Many of the changes the province is proposing already exist under federal regulations for food safety and inspection, which most other provinces already follow, Bedie said. 

If the bill passes, the changes will not come into effect until January 2027, leaving plenty of time for another outbreak, Bedie said. He thinks the province should consider other solutions in the meantime, such as hiring more food inspectors.

CBC News has learned hundreds of Alberta daycares were not inspected for health and safety, and nearly half of those that were inspected did not follow proper food safety rules during a 12-month period — the same period that a daycare E. coli outbreak in the province sickened hundreds of children and put dozens of them in hospital.

“They can already increase the number of inspectors now and also the frequency [of inspections] and then they can take the time to do the bill while the system is being improved,” he said. 

The initial report pointed to a lack of inspectors and a backlog of cases as a contributing factor in the outbreak. The province has not specified whether it plans to invest in hiring more inspectors or not.

MacDonald's younger daughter is now in daycare. She said any change to improve accountability is good, but she wishes the bill went further. She'd like to see legal repercussions.

“I know that the children are not protected in the system, and this bill is still not protecting them in the system,” she said.