The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness is seeking authority to issue tickets to businesses that are repeat offenders on food safety issues.
Education will remain the initial response.
Adding ticketing authority will provide another avenue to gain compliance. The final option remains prosecution in the courts.
“Tickets are stronger than education and warnings but less severe than suspensions or prosecutions,” says the ministry in a posting on the province’s regulations registry.
It also said “expanding the ability to issue tickets for recurring offenses would reduce the burden on municipalities by decreasing the demand for court services.
“The ability to issue a ticket can also reduce the costs for the regulated party that committed the offense because the potential penalties from a Part III Summons (going to court) are generally higher.
“Education and awareness will remain key compliance tools when working with the industry, and tickets will be an additional option when stronger progressive compliance action is required.”
