What it requires
- Section 26 — operators must ensure the premises are (a) free of pests, (b) free of conditions that lead to the harbouring or breeding of pests, and (c) protected against the entrance of pests.
- Section 1 — 'pest' is defined broadly as any animal or arthropod destructive to the sanitary operation of food premises, expressly including rats, mice, cockroaches and flies.
- Section 24 — operators must keep a written sanitation plan covering cleaning, sanitizing and pest-management procedures, and identifying all pesticides used on site.
- Section 25 — no live animals on premises except guide/service dogs (not in food-prep, processing or storage areas), aquarium fish, or animals expressly approved by a health officer.
- Section 27 — pesticides, cleansers and similar chemicals must be stored in a room or cabinet separate from any food.
- Section 8 — operating a food service establishment requires a permit from the regional health authority; the permit can be suspended or revoked for non-compliance.
- Section 10 — at least one FOODSAFE Level 1 certified food handler (or equivalent) must be present during operating hours.
Who it affects
- Restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars
- Grocery stores, delis, butchers, bakeries and food retailers
- Commissary kitchens, ghost kitchens and caterers
- Mobile food premises (food trucks, carts) and temporary food vendors
- Institutional kitchens (hospitals, long-term care, schools, daycares)
- Food processors, packers and food warehouses storing food for public consumption in BC
Penalties for violation
Enforcement runs through the regional health authority's environmental health officers, who under the Public Health Act may inspect at any reasonable time, seize or destroy unsafe food, order operational changes, and suspend or revoke the operating permit — which closes the business immediately. General offences under Public Health Act s. 99 (including failure to comply with a health officer's order) carry fines up to $25,000 and/or up to six months imprisonment under s. 108(1)(a); continuing offences are charged per day. Non-compliance with the Food Premises Regulation specifically is most often enforced by inspection re-visits, downgraded inspection reports (publicly posted), closure orders, and permit suspension.
Our day-to-day practice under this regulation.
We deliver Section 26 compliance for BC food premises with a documented IPM program tailored to the operator's sanitation plan: a baseline inspection that maps harbourage and entry points, a monitoring grid (interior tamper-resistant snap stations, exterior bait stations where permitted, insect monitors), exclusion work on doors, vents and utility penetrations, and scheduled service visits with signed reports that an environmental health officer can read on the spot. Every pesticide we apply is logged with product, EPA/PCP number, location and applicator — exactly the record Section 24 requires the operator to keep — and we coach kitchen staff on the sanitation and storage practices that keep pests from coming back.