Food safety risks grow as health inspections fall behind in Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon

Peel Public Health is warning that mounting service pressures have left it unable to keep pace with provincially mandated food inspections, raising concerns about potential risks to food safety and public health as the region’s population continues to grow.

A report scheduled to be presented to Peel Regional council says Public Health is currently unable to meet all food inspection requirements outlined under Ontario Public Health Standards due to increasing workloads and staffing pressures. The standards are mandated by the Ontario Ministry of Health.

According to the report, food safety complaints and service requests increased by 23 per cent between 2024 and 2025, while the number of special events requiring oversight rose by 22 per cent.

“As a result, inspections are increasingly prioritized, delayed, or missed,” the report states.

Public Health officials warn the situation could increase the risk of foodborne illness, unsafe environments and other preventable public health incidents if inspection demands continue to outpace available resources.

The report identifies population growth as a key driver behind rising demand. Peel’s rapidly expanding population is increasing the volume and complexity of public health services, while broader social challenges such as a lack of access to primary care, unstable housing and financial insecurity are creating additional pressures across the health system.

Based on workload analyses and projected regional growth, Peel Public Health says additional public health inspectors will be required by 2027.

The inspection challenges are among several ongoing and emerging pressures highlighted in the annual review.

The report notes that wait times for some time-sensitive services have also increased. A rise in births from approximately 16,000 in 2023 to 17,000 in 2024 has contributed to growing demand for postpartum supports and infant feeding services, with wait times now extending beyond the target service window.

Public Health is also facing growing demands related to communicable disease management. Officials say cases are becoming more complex as they increasingly involve residents experiencing housing instability, financial hardship or a lack of access to primary care.

Some diseases require months of follow-up and monitoring. Tuberculosis cases can involve six to 12 months of follow-up, while maternal syphilis cases may require 12 to 18 months. At the same time, Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) (or drug-resistant “superbug”) infections have more than doubled since 2019, increasing from 117 cases to 249 in 2025.

Resources have also been diverted to address urgent public health responses. Between January and October 2025, Peel Public Health activated six urgent responses related to eight confirmed measles cases, requiring follow-up with more than 1,400 contacts. By comparison, Peel recorded only four confirmed measles cases during the entire five-year period between 2019 and 2024.

The report also points to ongoing concerns about provincial funding. Public Health identifies underfunding, growing service demands, increasing complexity of public health issues, and information technology needs as key organizational risks.

Despite those challenges, Peel Public Health reported several accomplishments in 2025.

Inspectors completed 19,847 inspections covering food premises, small drinking water systems, recreational water facilities, childcare centres and personal service settings. Public Health also monitored more than 17,000 reportable disease cases and investigated 303 confirmed outbreaks.

Immunization efforts increased significantly, with staff administering 81,728 vaccines—a 14 per cent increase over 2024—and distributing more than 1.1 million vaccine doses to healthcare partners across the region.

Public Health also completed more than 1,700 infant feeding home visits, opened a new sexual health clinic in partnership with Moyo Health and Community Services, distributed more than 13,000 naloxone doses, and secured more than $700,000 in federal funding to enhance harm reduction services.

Looking ahead, Peel Public Health says its priorities for 2026 will include maintaining disease prevention and health promotion programs, strengthening emergency and pandemic preparedness, and finding operational efficiencies to maximize community impact.

But the report makes clear that without additional resources, growing demand for services will continue to challenge the department’s ability to meet all of its mandated responsibilities, including inspections that help protect residents from preventable health risks.