The Poultry Products Regulation, as amended by Manitoba Regulation 37/2025 under The Livestock and Livestock Products Act, introduces changes to the province’s regulatory framework for poultry and egg products. The amendments align Manitoba’s regulatory terminology and procedures more closely with the federal Safe Food for Canadians Act and its accompanying regulations. The overarching purpose of the amendments is to improve definitions, update oversight mechanisms, and clarify rules governing the sale, grading, and inspection of poultry and eggs, while providing clearer provisions for direct-to-consumer transactions by producers.

A major part of the reform involves the revision and modernization of definitions in Section 1. Several outdated or redundant terms, such as “District Director” and “licensee,” are repealed. In their place, the definitions of “poultry station” and “federal Act” are updated to directly reference federal legislation. New terms like “egg grading station” and “egg processing station” are introduced to distinguish between establishments that grade versus process eggs, with both types now required to operate under a federal licence. Additionally, terms such as “federal regulations” are formally defined to refer specifically to the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SOR/2018-108), thereby ensuring consistency in interpretation and enforcement.

The amendment also significantly modifies the rules regarding possession and sale of poultry products. Sections 3 through 6 are repealed and replaced by a restructured Section 7, which stipulates that no person may sell, offer for sale, or transport poultry products unless they have been inspected or graded in accordance with federal or other lawful standards. However, Section 7.1 introduces specific allowances for producers to sell ungraded eggs directly to consumers under certain conditions. These conditions include ensuring the eggs are clean, intact, and clearly labelled with the date of packaging, the producer’s information, and the indication that they are “ungraded eggs.”

Further provisions clarify that ungraded eggs can be transported to egg grading or processing stations (Section 7.2) and that live poultry may be sent to licensed poultry stations (Section 7.3). Section 7.4 outlines how producers may sell uninspected poultry—such as dressed or eviscerated birds—directly from their premises or with future delivery arrangements, provided the products are prominently marked as “Not Government Inspected.” Any advertisements or public notices for such poultry must also include this warning in legible form.

Section 7.5 permits the purchase of ungraded eggs for hatching purposes, a practice particularly relevant to agricultural producers or breeders. Section 7.6 prohibits any grading, marking, or representation of poultry products as graded unless it complies with federal regulations. It also restricts the sale or transport of eggs marked “Canada C” solely to federally licensed egg grading or processing stations, emphasizing quality control.

Manitoba (37/2025) May 9, 2025
Disclaimer: Insights are for informational purposes only and do not reflect RRI’s official position or constitute legal opinion.