Health Canada

Setting Maximum Levels for Contaminants in Foods

Every day, we are exposed to chemicals and pollutants - in our air, food and water. There are chemicals in everyday products we use at work, at home and at play. While some chemicals may be beneficial to our health, others may pose a health risk if they're not handled properly.

Risk assessments are conducted under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 to determine whether there are risks resulting from exposure of Canadians to a substance, or releases of a substance into the environment, and the specific ways Canadians or the environment can be affected.