Market vendors in New Brunswick are getting ready to prove that their perishable foods have been prepared and handled safely.

It’s now become a requirement under regulations from the provincial Department of Health. Market vendor Melissa Elchison says that’s fine with her.

“They're really asking just for basic health and safety practices,” said Elchison. “They're not asking for anything that it out in left field at all. It's very basic.”

The regulations say that vendors must prove they can prepare and transport their product and demonstrate they can also properly clean their equipment.

“To be honest, I'm happy this is finally happening,” said vendor Nicole LeBlanc. “They've been talking about it for a while now.”

LeBlanc says inspectors have already visited her treat booth. She feels the new regulations are long overdue.

“It's a benefit for everybody,” she said. “Not just the customers, but for the vendors as well. We want to make sure that as vendors that this is a safe environment, that the products that are sold here are safe for the clients that come here.”

Dieppe Market general manager Paul-Emile Doucet says vendors shouldn't have been caught off guard by the new rules. He says the Department of Health announced the changes last year and held information sessions with vendors.

“It's the ones that are not licensed right now that will need to meet certain criteria in order to be able to continue to sell at the markets,” Doucet said.

The new rules state that food vendors must now have a Class 5 licence. That's about a third of all vendors at the Dieppe Market.

For some, it could mean thousands of dollars in upgrades.

“Probably about 40 vendors that will need to meet requirements and will need to be licensed,” said Doucet.

Customers say they wouldn't expect anything less.

“The importance of that is that if it's handled properly and looked after, which needs to be monitored and checked. It gives me security in wanting to buy it,” said customer Don Ayer.

The new regulations have been slowly implemented over the last couple weeks. There is no charge for a new licence if the vendor operates less than 160 days a year.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jonathan MacInnis.