Food Safety
The BC Centre for Disease Control, Food Protection Services division under the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) is the organization which addresses public health concerns regarding food and food protection by providing scientific expertise to the Health Authorities and to the Ministry of Health.
Food Premises
Local Health Authorities administer the Food Premises Regulation in British Columbia. The Food Premises Regulation outlines public health requirements for business which supply and serve food to the public. The Health Authorities are responsible for licensing, inspecting and responding to complaints regarding food facilities within their jurisdiction.
The local Health Authority also administers the FOODSAFE education program in their region.
More information on the Food Program can be found on the BC Centre for Disease Control website.
Meat Inspection
The British Columbia Meat Inspection Regulation was enacted under the Food Safety Act in 2004. The regulation governs the slaughter of animals for food sales in British Columbia. It enhances British Columbia's food safety system by introducing a consistent, outcome-based standard for the safety of meat processing across the province. The Meat Inspection Regulation requires that:
- animals are humanely raised and slaughtered;
- carcasses are handled hygienically and butchered in a clean environment;
- waste is properly disposed of; and
- meat is stored and packaged in ways that reduce contamination risks.
Compliance with the regulation became mandatory in September of 2007. Since 2006, the provincial government has provided more than $11 million in support of industry transitioning to the new requirements. The new requirements benefit consumers by:
- implementing a comprehensive system for identifying diseased or contaminated meat and excluding it from the food chain;
- improving trace-back capabilities to determine an animal's origin and allow prompt action where required; and
- improving marketability and sustainability for the meat processing industry.
Until the recent 2010 amendments, the Meat Inspection Regulation included three levels of slaughter for meat sold in the province:
- Class A facilities provide slaughter and cut-and-wrap services.
- Class B facilities only provide slaughter services.
- Class C transitional licences were a temporary measure introduced in 2007. They enable slaughter facilities to operate without inspection until upgrades to full licensing are completed.
All meats, including poultry, from licensed facilities is inspected to ensure compliance with provincial food safety standards. The only exception is meat slaughtered at transitional Class C establishments, which can be sold directly from the producer to the consumer at the farm, but cannot be sold to retail establishments (e.g., restaurants or meat shops). Class C licences are being phased out, and no new applications will be accepted after June 1, 2010. Farm families have the option of consuming their own products without inspection, although they may wish to have their stock inspected.
These measures have helped increase the number and distribution of slaughter facilities in B.C. Once all Class C licences have been upgraded or phased out, the province will likely have almost 50 provincially licensed Class A and B slaughter plants serving the province - a significant improvement over the 12 provincially licensed slaughterhouses that existed before the Meat Inspection Regulation.
The 2010 amendments expand opportunities for meat producers even more by introducing a new graduated licensing system that includes a range of licensing options. In addition to existing Class A and B licences, two new Class D and E licences will be available to small-scale operators, with some geographic restrictions on sales and limits on animal numbers.
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For more information on food safety in the meat sector:
- please contact the Environmental Health Program in your Health Authority;
- review the HealthLink BC Files; and/or
- read the BCCDC Food Health Safety Information hyperlinked in the right-hand navigation bar on this page.
Milk and Dairy
Food Protection Services under the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) licences all dairy plants in British Columbia under the BC Milk Industry Act, and the Milk Industry Standards Regulation. The Food Protection Services also provides an inspection service to all dairy plants licenced in British Columbia.
The purpose of the inspection service is to ensure that all dairy plants comply with the standards and requirements of the BC Milk Industry Act and Regulations. Food Protection Services also develops and provides educational materials to dairy plant operators with regard to dairy product safety and develops product safety programs
More information and resources on milk and dairy can be found on the BCCDC website. Additional food safety information can be found on the related Health Files or the BCCDC Food Safety Health Information files which are hyperlinked from the right hand navigation bar on this page.
Fish and Shellfish
The Fish Inspection Act and Fish Inspection Regulations govern fish and shellfish harvested, processed and sold in British Columbia (exports outside of BC fall under federal regulations). Under this framework the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands (BCMAL) issues licences for commercial fisheries, finfish and shellfish aquaculture, and fish processing plants. The Health Authorities are responsible for inspecting and recommending approval of provincially licenced fish processing plants to the BCMAL.
More information on the Fish and Shellfish Program can be found on the BC Centre for Disease Control website. Additional food safety information can be found on the related Health Files or the Food Safety Health Information files which are hyperlinked from the right hand navigation bar on this page.
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