Food Safety Market Blog

A blog with articles related to food handler certification and education on food safety related issues.

Posts about regulations:

Mask Policy as Risk Management

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Kevin Freeborn
Mask Policy as Risk Management
covid mask regulations

Wearing masks has been shown to be an important component in the fight to reduce the spread of COVID-19, prompting municipal governments to adopt mask policies in order for people to continue enjoying some semblance of normalcy. Like many things, wearing a mask has become a source of controversy, sparking widespread debates about freedom and social responsibility. While enforcing a mask policy may not always be the popular option for businesses, it’s an undeniably important part of your risk management policy. 

How Canadians Can Report Food Safety Concerns

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Kevin Freeborn
How Canadians Can Report Food Safety Concerns
food safety inspection regulations
It’s important for consumers to report food safety concerns and violations. This helps provincial health units respond quickly and effectively to urgent concerns or violations before they can affect large groups of people.
 
Reporting concerns also allows restaurants and foodservice providers to identify employees who may require additional food safety training, or who may not be taking best practices seriously. In Canada, there are a variety of different ways to report your food safety concerns - it usually depends on which province or territory you reside in and what kind of establishment you’re filing a concern about.
 

How the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations Affect You

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Kevin Freeborn
How the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations Affect You
food safety regulations
The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR),  implemented across the country on January 15, 2019, have brought significant changes for Canadian foodservice business. The new regulations have been put into place with the intention of improving food safety for Canadians, improving consumer confidence in knowing that the food they receive and eat will be safe and from sources they can trust. These regulations bring a variety of benefits for businesses and consumers, as well as some changes your foodservice business will need to take into consideration.

Ontario's Food Premises Regulations

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Kevin Freeborn
Ontario's Food Premises Regulations
food safety regulations
Ontario’s new   Food Premises Regulation (O. Reg. 493/17), under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7 came into effect on July 1, 2018, bringing with it some important changes for foodservice businesses across the province. Though the Regulation has been in effect since July, the transition to compliance with the new requirements is still ongoing for many establishments. The modernized Regulation has taken the place of the Food Premises Regulation (O. Reg. 562), which dated all the way back to 1967, and tackles issues like food handler training, energy conservation, and more.

New Ontario Regulation 493/17

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Kevin Freeborn
New Ontario Regulation 493/17
food safety regulations

Working with Ontario's Public Health Units to Support the Implementation of the New Ontario Regulation 493/17 

O. Reg. 493/17, the new Ontario Food Premises Regulation, came into effect on July 1, 2018, modernizing the previous regulation which dated back to 1967. The Food Premises Regulation has removed outdated and redundant food premises requirements that no longer apply to modern foodservice establishments, offering foodservice operators more flexibility in areas like safe food preparation procedures, food handling, and cleaning and sanitizing procedures. The Regulation has also made it mandatory that at least one trained food handler be on premises for every working hour that the establishment is open for in order to minimize the risks of food poisoning and poor food safety practices.

Don't be a Victim of Food Fraud

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Kevin Freeborn
Don't be a Victim of Food Fraud
regulations food fraud

How to Make Sure Your Foodservice Business Isn’t a Victim of Food Fraud

Your customers deserve the highest quality food and complete transparency about where that food originated from - this is complicated through widespread incidences of food fraud. Food fraud is the deliberate misrepresentation of food products offered through foodservice establishments and other food sale outlets for monetary gain. Often, many establishments are completely unaware that it has taken place as it can take place at any time in the supply chain. It’s important for foodservice professionals to understand how you can ensure that your business is not a victim of this shady practice in the future.

Ontario Food Premises Regulations Require Food Handler Safety Training

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Kevin Freeborn
Ontario Food Premises Regulations Require Food Handler Safety Training
food safety regulations
 
If you're a food handler, or restaurant owner, you need to know about changes to food handling regulations in Ontario. Recent regulatory updates highlight the importance of ensuring staff receive the appropriate food handling certification so your food service business stays compliant. 
 
As of July 1, 2018, Ontario food safety regulations changed drastically for food service operators around the province. Food Premises regulations under Ontario’s   Health Protection and Promotion Act require restaurant and food service establishment operators to ensure the presence of at least one certified food handler through every shift.
 

Why Health Inspections Are Good for Business

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Kevin Freeborn
Why Health Inspections Are Good for Business
food safety inspection regulations health inspection

A recent three-part investigation held by Global News discovered that many restaurants in Nova Scotia go up to six years without being inspected by a public health official - including those deemed as being high-risk for foodborne illnesses. The food safety inspection gap in Nova Scotia comes as a surprise to many Canadians, as the benefits of food service establishments undergoing regular health inspections are innumerable for both customers and businesses themselves. 

Issues We Encounter in Food Safety Training

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Kevin Freeborn
Issues We Encounter in Food Safety Training
food safety training regulations restaurant food safety training legislation Canada engagement

Developing and implementing an effective food safety training program is essential to any business that deals with food, but it can present some challenges. Some of the challenges Food Safety Market has seen when performing our food safety training in Canada include a lack of uniformity regarding country-wide regulations and legislation, a lack of access to proper training, obligation to completing required courses, and a lack of engagement.