B.C. chains get a break on trans fat documentation

(Nov. 17/09) Chain food service establishments (FSEs) participating in B.C.’s trans fat central documentation audit will not be asked for onsite documentation in the first year, provided it is available through the chain’s head office.

Following CRFA’s call for a central documentation audit, the Ministry of Healthy Living and Support reassessed its initial plan to require all franchisees and corporate stores to have both onsite and central documentation. To ease workload, environmental health officers (EHOs) will not request onsite documentation from eligible chain FSEs for the one-year period.

Per B.C.’s Trans Fat Regulation, onsite documentation is a legal requirement. Chain FSEs not participating in the central documentation audit can expect onsite inspections.

Acceptable forms of onsite documentation include original food product labels, binders of product specification sheets, electronic PDF files or access to the company’s intranet.