Provincial Food Processing & Distribution

In Manitoba, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD) is responsible for food safety from farm gate to the back door of retail. Health officers with MAFRD play an important role in ensuring the safety of all food that is processed and distributed from provincially registered facilities within Manitoba.

Any facility or location where food products are manufactured, processed, prepared, packaged, stored or serviced is considered a food premise. This includes food service and food retail establishments such as restaurants, cafes, take-outs, catering facilities, mobile vending carts, grocery stores, farmers markets and temporary food events at fairs or festivals which Manitoba Health is responsible for. Food handling establishments such as food processing plants, meat processing plants, slaughterhouses, warehouses and transportation vehicles are the responsibility of MAFRD.

Food processing establishments in Manitoba are inspected by MAFRD health officers on a regular basis to ensure compliance with the Food and Food Handling Establishments Regulation (PDF 287KB) under The Public Health Act. Health officers determine if minimum standards and practices are being followed with respect to general food handling, storage temperature, sanitation, employee hygiene, equipment maintenance and environmental controls. Health officers also take into account any food safety programs used by the facility.

Please remember anyone wishing to commercially manufacture, process, or package food products for human consumption, and is not federally-registered or permitted by another jurisdiction is required to have a provincial food permit through MAFRD.

Relevant Documents

Federal/Provincial/Territorial Model Codes

Links

For further information please refer to the Office of the Chief Veterinarian Contact List