Inspection of Retail Food Stores
In Canada, responsibility for food safety is shared between the federal government and provincial health units or provincial departments.
Depending on where you live, concerns or complaints about issues like dirty stores, sightings of mice or insects, bad food handling practices or the actions of store staff are handled by local health or authorities or designated provincial departments.
Alberta
The inspection of retail stores for cleanliness and proper food handling is the responsibility of Alberta Health Services - Environmental Health Program
British Columbia
The inspection of retail stores for cleanliness and proper food handling is the responsibility of regional health authorities.
- Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (VCH): Gibsons, Powell River, Richmond, Squamish, Sechelt, Sunshine Coast, Vancouver, Whistler.
- Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA): Campbell River, Comox Valley, Duncan, Nanaimo, Parksville, Port Alberni, Port Hardy, Victoria.
- Interior Health Authority: 100 Mile House, Castlegar, Cranbrook, Golden, Kamloops, Kelowna, Osoyoos, Penticton, Revelstoke, Trail, Vernon, Williams Lake.
- Fraser Health Authority: Burnaby, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Maple-Ridge, Pitt Meadows, White Rock, Delta, South Surrey, Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford, Mission, Chilliwack, Hope, Agassiz.
- Northern Health Authority: Atlin, Fort Nelson, Fort St. John, Hudson's Hope, Taylor, Dawson Creek, Steward, The Hazeltons, Queen Charlotte Islands, Terrace, Smithers, Vanderhoof, Prince George, Kitimat.
Manitoba
The inspection of retail stores for cleanliness and proper food handling is the responsibility of the Manitoba Health Food Safety Program
Newfoundland and Labrador
The inspection of retail stores for cleanliness and proper food handling is the responsibility of Service NL - Environmental Health
New Brunswick
Tthe inspection of retail stores for cleanliness and proper food handling is the responsibility of the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health (Public Health)
Northwest Territories
The inspection of retail stores for cleanliness and proper food handling is the responsibility of Health and Social Services
Nova Scotia
The inspection of retail stores for cleanliness and proper food handling is the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture - Food Protection and Enforcement Division
Nunavut
The inspection of retail stores for cleanliness and proper food handling is the responsibility of: Health and Social Services
Ontario
The inspection of retail stores for cleanliness and proper food handling is the responsibility of local health authorities.
- Algoma (Cities of Sault Ste Marie, Elliot Lake, towns of Blind River, Bruce Mines, Spanish, Thessalon and the Municipality of Huron Shores)
- Brant County
- Chatham-Kent
- Durham Region (Cities of Oshawa, Pickering, towns of Ajax, Whitby)
- Eastern Ontario Health (City of Cornwall, City of Clarence-Rockland, counties of Prescott-Russell, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry)
- Elgin St. Thomas (County of Elgin and the City of St. Thomas)
- Grey Bruce (County of Grey and Bruce County)
- Haldimand-Norfolk (Haldimand County and Norfolk County)
- Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District (City of Kawartha Lakes, Town of Cobourg, counties of Haliburton, Northumberland)
- Halton Region (City of Burlington and towns of Oakville, Halton Hills, Milton)
- Hamilton
- Hastings and Prince Edward Counties (Cities of Belleville, Quinte West and the counties of Hastings, Prince Edward)
- Huron County
- Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington (City of Kingston, Town of Greater Napanee, counties of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington)
- Lambton County
- Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District (City of Brockville, towns of Carleton Place, Gananoque, Mississippi Mills, Perth Prescott, Smith Falls, counties of Lanark. Leeds and Grenville)
- Middlesex-London (County of Middlesex and City of London)
- Niagara Region (Cities of Niagara Falls, Port Colborne, St. Catharines, Thorold, Welland, the towns of Fort Erie, Gimsby, Lincoln, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Pelham)
- North Bay Parry Sound (City of North Bay, Town of Mattawa, municipalities of Temagami, West Nipissing)
- Northwestern Health (Cities of Dryden, Kenora, municipalities of Red Lake, Sioux Lookout, towns of Fort Frances Rainy River)
- Ottawa
- Oxford County
- Region of Peel (Cities of Brampton, Mississauga and the Town of Caledon)
- Perth District (City of Stratford, Town of St. Marys, municipalities of West Perth, North Perth, Perth East and Perth South)
- Renfrew County and District
- Simcoe Muskoka (County of Simcoe and the towns of Bracebridge, Gravenhurst)
- Sudbury and District
- Temiskaming (City of Temiskaming Shores, towns of Cobalt, Englehart, Kirkland Lake, Latchford, municipalities of Charlton and Dack, Temagami)
- Thunder Bay District (City of Thunderbay, town of Marathon)
- Toronto
- Region of Waterloo (Cities of Cambridge, Kitchner, Waterloo)
- Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (Counties of Wellington and Dufferin and the City of Guelph)
- Windsor-Essex County
- York Region (City of Vaughan, the towns of Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Whitchurch-Stouffville)
Prince Edward Island
The inspection of retail stores for cleanliness and proper food handling is the responsibility of the Prince Edward Island Food Safety Program
Quebec
The inspection of retail stores for cleanliness and proper food handling is the responsibility of the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec (French only)
Saskatchewan
The inspection of retail stores for cleanliness and proper food handling is the responsibility of the regional health authorities.
Yukon
The inspection of retail stores for cleanliness and proper food handling is the responsibility of: Health and Social Services - Environmental Health.
The CFIA's Role
At the retail level of trade, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency protects consumers from economic fraud and product misrepresentation, and assists them in making informed product choices. The CFIA's role in the retail sector also results in fair competition for industry.
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