Food Safety Act

The Food Safety Act regulates the entire spectrum of British Columbia’s food industry, from production and manufacturing to retail and restaurants. The Act provides a solid regulatory framework for B.C.’s food safety legislation. It clarifies the legal responsibility of food establishment operators with respect to the safety of their products; grants inspection and enforcement powers to inspectors; and specifies offences and penalties for infractions.

The Food Safety Act also gives the Lieutenant Governor In Council the authority to establish regulations governing food production, food sale and the operation of food establishments.

When the Act came into force in 2002, it consolidated British Columbia’s food safety legislation, including the Meat Inspection Act and the Health Act, into one statute. The Ministry of Health administers the Act at the food processing level, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands administers it at the farm level.

Learn More

For more information on the Food Safety Act, see the following websites:

• Food Premises Regulation
• Meat Inspection Regulation
• Milk Industry Standards Regulation
• Fish Inspection Act
• Fish Inspection Regulation