Dear Editor,
In response to a recent letter to the editor and articles written in papers serving southwest Saskatchewan, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify the Ministry of Health’s position on the proposed changes to the Food Safety Regulations.
The government of Saskatchewan fully supports the tradition of farmers’ markets and the ability for farmers to bring to market their agricultural products.  Farmers’ markets have a rich history in Saskatchewan and the growing popularity and continual addition of new items is an exciting trend. The existing guidelines are in need of updating simply to improve clarity and to reflect the many new food items that vendors wish to sell at the markets while ensuring the protection of public health.
The Ministry of Health has a responsibility to ensure the safety of food in this province, and the spring consultations on the proposed Public Market Guidelines were undertaken as part of a standard process. The feedback of market participants and the public was valuable and much appreciated. As a result of this input, no changes will be made to the existing Farmers’ Market Guidelines this year.
Sincerely,
Don McMorris
Minister of Health