NEWS

Market cooking ban hurts retailers

[attach]448[/attach]Lina Canoza is upset that she can’t barbecue her sausages at the farmers market.

Ever since the strike began, the Kountry King Sausages vendor hasn’t been allowed to fire up the grill at the various local farmers markets she attends.

At the beginning of the labour dispute, the produce bazaars were shut down completely.

The city reneged on their position, allowing markets to go ahead on city property albeit with conditions, included asking vendors not to prepare cooked food.

Under normal circumstances, a collective permit would be issued for all the vendors, which would undergo two or three seasonal inspections, said Jim Chan, Toronto Public Health’s food and safety coordinator.

He said restrictions were placed on the markets because there is no staff to conduct seasonal checks during the strike.

However, other outdoor food vendors, like hot dog carts that have been inspected, can continue to prepare food on-site because they were done so prior to the labour disruption, he added.

But that doesn’t help vendors like Canoza, who said her sales depend on selling her barbecued sausages.

It’s a major disappointment after participating in the farmers market for 35 years. She estimates she’s losing thousands of dollars this year.

“I’ve got bills and employees to pay,” Canoza said. “I just want to cry. This isn’t fair.”

A coordinator for the Farmers’ Markets of Ontario Greenbelt said some farmers should be allowed to prepare food on-site.

“Crowds stay longer when there’s something to eat,” said Jenny Cook. “But (farmers and vendors) are adjusting.”

Although the constraints aren’t optimal, they’re better than closing down all markets, said association spokesperson Jennifer Story.

“I’m not sure about the cooking exception,” she said, “but if it’s the only one, we can live with it.”