Manitoba Health

Food Safety

Public Health Inspectors play an important role in ensuring the safety of all food that is sold and distributed through food premises. Public Health Inspectors conduct inspections of public eating establishments on a routine and a complaint basis.

Any facility or location where food is prepared, stored or served to the general public is considered a food handling establishment. This includes restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries, butcher shops, delicatessens, catering facilities, take-outs, mobile vending carts, farmers markets and temporary food events at fairs or festivals.

Food Premises are inspected on a regular basis to ensure compliance with the Food and Food Handling Establishments Regulation under The Public Health Act. Inspections determine if minimum standards and practices are being followed with respect to general food handling, storage temperatures, sanitation, employee hygiene and equipment or food contact surface disinfection procedures for the specific type of processes and foods involved.

Public Health Inspectors pay particular attention to ensuring that food is protected from possible contamination by chemicals or microorganisms and that adequate temperature controls are in place during the heating, cooling and storage of potentially hazardous foods. The general sanitary and physical condition of the premises is also evaluated.

Please remember anyone wishing to prepare and sell food to the public must apply for a food service establishment permit before opening. If you are opening a new food service establishment or changing ownership of an existing business, please complete the Food Handling Permit Registration Form and forward with your restaurant menu and a detailed floor plan to your district public health inspector.

Documents

• Farmers' Market Guidelines
• Mobile Food Service Establishment Guideline
• Temporary Food Service Establishment Guideline
• Special Event Sanitation Guideline
  
• Guidelines for Food Pushcarts
• Restaurant Construction and Design Guideline
• Transportation of Potentially Hazardous Foods Guideline
• Bulk Food Handling Guidelines
• Guidelines for Food Sampling Demonstrations - May 2011
• Guidelines on Emergency Action Plans for Food Establishments - May 2011
• Model Guideline for Food Safety in Food Banks (Health Canada)
• Food Handling Permit Registration Form

Links

• Food and Food Handling Establishments Regulation – MR 339/88R
  
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency
  
• CFIA Food Recalls
  
• City of Winnipeg Environmental Health Services
  
• City of Winnipeg Food Services By-law