Food Service By-law in Winnipeg
Learning food safety and sanitation is a must for FOODSAFE and food handlers working in Winnipeg. Getting a certificate is not a requirement (mandatory), but all food facilities in the city are governed by the Food Service by-law – which in turn mandates a number of staff members to train in food safety. Food facilities are defined as any place that handles, prepares, manufactures, packages, sells, or serves food.
The Food Service By-law was created in order to regulate the management of all food facilities in Winnipeg, Manitoba, even the design of the facility and regular operation of services. If you are a food facility operator or owner, you become responsible for training your staff in food safety and sanitation.
What the Food Service By-law says about Certified Food Handler Training
- All food facility operators are required to complete Certified Food Handler Training, available at Winnipeg First Aid. They cannot operate the establishment without certification and training.
- Food facilities with less than five staff members need to have at least one employee certified and trained in food safety.
- Food facilities with more than four staff members need to have at least one employee certified and training in food safety on duty at all times.
When food facilities do not follow the requirements in the Food Service by-law, they are not granted health permits and licenses to operate. The other sections cover facility design, personnel management, and general operation of the establishment.
Foodborne Illness in Canada
Each year, approximately four million Canadians are affected by foodborne illness. According the WHO, more than two million people all over the world die each year because of diarrheal complications. The primary cause of foodborne illness is the ingestion of unsafe food – or food that has been contaminated by bacteria and chemicals (and similar substances).
If you have ingested contaminated food, you may manifest the following signs and symptoms of a foodborne illness: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and pain, and loss of appetite.
Foodborne illness isn’t just one disease; it is a category for all conditions caused by the ingestion of contaminated food. Microoganisms that the most common cause of FBIs, specifically the following:
- Norovirus, which is responsible for almost 60 percent of FBI cases
- Campylobacter species
- Clostridium perfringens
- Salmonella (expect for typhoidal/typhi)
- Staphylococcus aureus
Completing Certified Food Handler Traning with FOODSAFE in Winnipeg
Winnipeg First Aid is one of the best training providers of food safety in the city. Our training program is actually a Certified Food Handler Training course, offering certification specified by the Food Service by-law. The program is a single-day course, with eight total class hours. Classes usually run from 9 AM to 4 PM, or around those hours. A full training course (that includes the workbook and certification exam) will cost you approximately 100 dollars.
Note: Students may opt out of regular classroom training, and choose instead to self-study. We offer workbooks and exams separately for interested students.
Certificates you earn from passing the certification exam are valid all over Winnipeg. Give us a call today to start you training.