This post is taken from the FSN website. For more information about farmers' market food safety contact info@foodsecuritynews.com or call (709)237-4026. Farmers’ markets are becoming a valuable community activity across the country and their presence is growing across Newfoundland and Labrador. Farmers’ markets are important ways of providing public direct access to locally grown and prepared food of all kinds. Typically, farmers’ markets provide an opportunity for a wide variety of food vendors to offer their products including locally grown vegetables, fruit, and meats. Vendors are also selling prepared foods such as baked goods, preserves as well as hot, ready-to-eat foods. Until recently, there were no food safety regulations to guide food safe practices at the growing number of farmers’ markets across the province.
In 2011, FSN received funding from the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program to develop two handbooks to act as guides for Vendors and Organizers of Farmers’ Markets across Newfoundland and Labrador. The content in these handbooks is drawn primarily from information provided through a “Public Market Guidelines” document prepared by the Department of Health and Community Services, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011.
The practices described in these handbooks are intended to reflect food safety within the context of regularly operating farmers’ or public markets where a variety of food products are offered for sale regularly in a specific facility or location. This context is recognized as being distinct from other one or two day events that happen occasionally, such as organized by community groups.
Organizer Handbook
is intended to act as a guide for organizers of Farmers’ Markets across Newfoundland and Labrador to help ensure food safe practices and compliance with provincial food safety regulations.
Vendor Handbook
is intended to provide food vendors at Farmers’ and other Public Markets with some basic information to help encourage good food safety practices and comply with regulations.
