Do Ontario food rules say anything about floor colour?

O. Reg. 493/17 (Food Premises) does not mention floor colour anywhere in its text. The regulation requires that floors in food preparation, handling, service and related areas be "tight, smooth and non-absorbent" and "kept clean and in good repair." Colour is not part of that requirement.

Ottawa Public Health enforces O. Reg. 493/17 by inspecting food premises. We found nothing in OPH's published guidance that sets a required or prohibited floor colour. If your facility is a federally licensed plant shipping food interprovincially, the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SOR/2018-108, s.57) describe floors as needing to be "smooth, non-absorbent and impervious to moisture" and capable of withstanding repeated cleaning. That regulation also says nothing about colour.

Colour can come up in two separate areas. First, safety line markings: R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 851 (Industrial Establishments) requires floors used by workers to be kept free of hazards, and coloured floor markings can separate pedestrian paths, equipment zones or hazard areas. The regulation does not prescribe which colours to use for those lines; colour choices there are an internal safety decision. Second, if you want certainty about colour for a kitchen or food area, ask Ottawa Public Health directly before booking any work.

One thing worth confirming with a contractor before you commit: ask them to show you the product data sheet for the finish coat and confirm in writing that the colour you are choosing is listed as an option in that system's data sheet.