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June 2005
MEAT INSPECTION IN MANITOBA Provincial and Federal Legislation
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| In Manitoba, no one can sell any red meat or meat products
unless the meat has been inspected and approved in a federally or provincially registered
slaughterhouse. |
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| Provincial Legislation: |
Federal Registration: |
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The provincial government is a partner in
ensuring the safety of food. In Manitoba,
The Public Health Act is the enabling
legislation for food and food handling establishments including abattoirs within Manitoba.
The Food and Food Handling Establishments Regulation 339/88R regulates food service
establishments, retail food stores, food processing plants, temporary food service
establishments, meat processing plants, slaughterhouses, warehouses or any place,
including vehicles, where food is manufactured, processed, prepared, packaged, stored or
handled. Manitoba Conservation and Manitoba Health enforce this regulation.
The Public Health Act is currently being reviewed and rewritten
to reflect the "new" public health practices.
For information on provincial abattoirs contact: |
Manitoba Health
4080 - 300 Carlton Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3B 3M9
Phone No. (204) 788-6735
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| For general information on the Food and Food Handling
Establishments Regulation or food establishments contact your local Public Health Officer
with Manitoba Conservation. If the establishment is within the City of Winnipeg contact
either: |
Manitoba Conservation
160 - 123 Main Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3C 1A5
Phone No. (204) 945-7100
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The City of Winnipeg
Environmental Health Services Division
33 Warnock St.
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3E 3L6
Phone No. (204) 986-2443
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Federal registration allows a manufacturer,
distributor or importer to sell their product within Manitoba, within Canada or they can
export their product to another country, if they meet the requirements of the importing
country. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is the inspection body of the federal
government.
The CFIA regulates manufacturers, importers and distributors to ensure
products meet federal standards for safety, quality, quantity, composition, handling,
identity, processing, packaging and labelling. This regulatory function is carried out
through registration and inspection of establishments for interprovincial and
international trade, and in the inspection and grade-monitoring of products in registered
and non-registered processing establishments, at importers’ premises and in retail
establishments.
The CFIA administers or enforces the following federal acts: |
Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act*
Food and Drugs Act*
* as related to food |
Canada Agriculture Products Act
Meat Inspection Act |
The
Food
and Drugs Act is a consumer protection statute dealing with health and
safety and economic fraud with respect to food, drugs, cosmetics and medical devices. The
legislative focus, as it relates to health and safety deals with product integrity. From
an economic fraud perspective, the legislation is designed to provide essential
information to consumers and to provide protection from misrepresentation and fraud with
respect to labelling, advertising, packaging, and composition claims.
The
Consumer Packaging and
Labelling Act is a consumer protection statute which deals with economic fraud
with respect to the packaging, labelling, sale, importation and advertising of prepackaged
and certain other non-food products. It provides for a uniform method of labelling and
packaging of consumer products destined for sale at the retail level. It prevents fraud
and deception by providing for factual label information from which consumers can make an
informed choice and also requires the use of metric units of measurements and bilingual
labelling.
The Food and Drugs Act and the Consumer Packaging Labelling
Act apply to all food manufacturers in Canada, not just federally-registered
establishments.
The
Meat Inspection
Act regulates the importing and exporting of and interprovincial trade of meat
and meat products. It covers the registration of establishments, the inspection of animals
and meat products and the standards for establishments, for animals slaughtered and meat
products.
The Canada Agricultural
Products Act is designed to establish national standards and grade for
agricultural products and to regulate the marketing of agricultural products in import,
export and interprovincial trade. These products include meat, eggs, poultry products,
manufactured dairy products, fresh and processed vegetables, fruit, honey, maple syrup and
their products. It provides for the licensing of dealers in agricultural products, the
inspection, grading, labelling and packaging of regulated products, the registration of
establishments and standards governing the construction, maintenance and operation of
establishments as well as mechanisms to settle disputes over transactions between fresh
fruit and vegetable dealers.
Both Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are reviewing their food
legislation. Additional information on Canadian Food Inspection Agency can be found on
their Internet site http://www.cfia-acia.agr.ca/english/toce.shtml.
More information on Health Canada’s legislative renewal can be found on their
Internet site at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/. |
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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency can be reached at:
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
613 - 269 Main Street
Winnipeg MB R3C 1B2
Phone No. (204) 983-2200
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