Food Safety Tips for Farmers' Markets

Food Safety is getting more attention then ever - and with good reason. Ten years ago, most people would not have been able to pronounce the microbe 'Salmonella', let alone discuss it in everyday conversation. Outbreaks have raised the public's concerns about food safety.

That means the people who attend farmers' markets watch far more closely:

• The way you prepare and display your food
• The personal hygiene of you and your employees, and
• The way you construct and keep you stand clean

If people see things they don't like, in most cases they won't tell you. They simply won't come back. So what should you do?

Make sure you and your employees know how to handle and display food properly.

Two simple tips for food safety at farmers' markets

1. Keep hands clean

• Ensure that all employees who handle produce are aware of why and when they need to wash their hands. For example: after going to the washroom or after touching their face, animals, money or any other surface that could contaminate their hands.
• If a petting zoo is present at farmers markets, ensure that customers and employees do not touch the pets and then handle food without washing their hands in between. Be sure to post hand-washing signs.
  

2. Use proper containers

• Display produce in clean containers.
• Ensure that containers do not permit access to pests. For example, do not place produce directly on the ground.

Remember: food safety is everyone's responsibility. Make sure you take the proper steps to protect people's safety - before you sell produce to Ontario families.