Overview

In Ontario, food premises are required to have at least one certified food handler on site during every hour that the food premises operates. Food safety training is an important part of protecting customers from health risks that occur during the handling, preparing and cooking of food.

How to get certified

In Ontario, food handler training is provided by:

  • local public health units
  • certain approved commercial providers

To determine what food handler training courses are available in your area contact your local public health unit  or review the list of available commercial programs below.

Approved commercial programs

The programs listed below have applied and successfully been recognized by the Ministry of Health as meeting minimum requirements for food handler training and certification. These Food Handler Training programs are deemed to be equivalent to the training and certification offered by local public health units. All public health units in Ontario will accept certifications issued by theses providers after the date that they are listed as equivalent.

Training providerDate of equivalencyContact information

Above Training /StatefoodSafety

Ontario Safe Food Handling Course

May 8, 2019Available for select retail food stores and food service operations.

A Poetic Health

Food Handler Certification

November 9, 201735 Brian Peck Crescent, Unit 1509
East York ON M4G 0A5 
info@apoetichealth.com
apoetichealth.com

Academy of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences

Food Handling Certificate

October 29, 2013200 Consumers Road, Suite 200
North York ON M2J 4R4
416-502-2277
aaps.ca

Accents Multilingual Workplace Training

Fundamentals of Safe Food Handling

April 5, 2019289-929-4540


chris@accentstraining.ca
accentstraining.ca

Aims Health & Safety Training 

Essential Food Safety Training

February 23, 201511 Hyslop Avenue
Hannon ON L0R 1P0
905-906-0699

Audmax Inc.

The Art and Science of Safe Food

September 10, 20182426 Padstow Crescent 
Mississauga ON L5J 2G4
905-615-1188
maxcine@audmaxinc.com 
audmaxinc.com

BacOff Food Safety & Hygiene Training and Consulting

Food Handler Certification Course

May 12, 2017Toronto ON
647-282-4939
bacofffoodsafety@gmail.com 
bacoff.ca

Benny & Co

Formation hygiène et salubrité alimentaire – Manipulateurs d’aliments

January 7, 2019Available to employees of Benny & Co.

BITTS International Career College

BITTS Food Handler Certification Course

December 4, 20237896 Tranmere Drive, Unit 230
Mississauga ON L5S 1V9
bitts.ca

Canadian Food Safety Consulting Group Ltd.

SafeCheck™ Advanced Food Safety

July 17, 20155251 48 Avenue, South East, Unit 70
Calgary AB T2B 3S2
1-866-258-0643
canadianfoodsafety.com

Canadian Food Safety Training Inc.

Canadian Food Safety Training

December 24, 20142080 Danforth Avenue (The Workaround)
Toronto ON M4C 1J9
416-627-4169
canadianfoodsafetytraining.com

Canadian Institute of Food Safety

Food Handler Certification Course

May 12, 2017Level 3, 500 King Street West
Toronto ON M5V 1L9
support@foodsafety.ca
foodsafety.ca

Community and Family Services of Ontario

CFSO Food Handler Certification

June 20, 20234051 Gordon Baker Road, Unit A
Scarborough ON M1W 2P3
cfso.care

Food Consulting and Labeling Solutions

Food Safety Handler Certification Program

June 23, 2015682 David Street
Welland ON L3B 2B9
905-401-2146
ricferrusi@gmail.com

FoodPrep Inc.

Food Handler Certification

April 3, 20174040 Steeles Avenue West 
Unit 44, Suite 11 
Woodbridge ON L4L 4Y5 
416-838-2032
training@foodprep.ca
foodprep.ca

FoodSafe4U by Excellent Learning

Ontario Food Handlers Training and Certification

May 25, 2022851 Industrial Road, Suite 42
Ottawa ON K1G 4L3
647-213-1068
foodsafe4u.com

FoodSafetyTraining.ca

Online Food Handler Certification Course

December 11, 2013Chatham ON
help@foodsafetytraining.ca
foodsafetytraining.ca

Food VisionInc.

Food Handler Certification Course

January 20, 20224000 Steeles Avenue West, Unit 216
Vaughan ON L4L 4V9
416-843-5007
training@foodvisioninc.com 
foodvisioninc.com

Freeborn & Associates
(on behalf of Restaurants Canada)

National Food Safety Training Program

Valid certificates issued between May 16, 2014 to April 30, 2019Course is no longer available.

Freeborn & Associates Inc., Food Safety Market

Managing Food Safety

July 3, 20181-888-829-3177


foodsafetymarket.com 
campus.foodsafetymarket.com

Hamilton Wentworth District School Board

Food Handler Certification Course

April 29, 2021

465 East 16th Street
Hamilton ON L9A 4K6
905-561-2190 ext. 4791
tjblanch@hwdsb.on.ca
hwdsb.on.ca/cce/adult-programs/lbs/ cornerstone-targeted-training-programs

Note: This course is open to individuals who are eligible for Employment Ontario’s Literacy and Basic Skills program. Please visit the website for further details.

Indigenous Services Canada

First Nations and Inuit Health Food Safety Training

April 11, 2014195 Henry Street, Unit 6C 
Brantford ON N3S 5C9

InstaCert

Food Handler Certificate Course

February 11, 2020info@instacert.ca
instacert.ca

KnowledgeWare Communications Corp.

Food Safety for Food Handlers

September 20, 201811763 Darby Street
Maple Ridge BC V2X 5G1 
604-380-0040
kccsoft.com

Lambton College

Safe Food Handling

November 14, 20231457 London Road
Sarnia ON N7S 6K4
lambtoncollege.ca

Matawa First Nations Management

Food Handler Training Certification

June 12, 2020Matawa First Nations Management
233 Court Street South 
Thunder Bay ON P7B 2X9

Meat and Poultry Ontario

Food Handler Training For the Industry

March 24, 2023

130 Malcolm Road
Guelph ON N1K 1B1
meatpoultryon.ca

Note: This course is intended for individuals working in certain meat processing facilities. Please visit the website for further details.

Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

Food Safety Training

June 10, 2015300 Water Street, South Tower
Peterborough ON K9J 8M5
1-800-667-1940

Noraxx Inspections Inc.

Noraxx Inspections Food Handler Certification Course

July 26, 2021692 Catalina Crescent
Burlington ON L7L 5B8
416-671-8432
noraxx.ca

Pharma-Medical Science College of Canada

Food Handler

September 20, 2018505 Consumers Road, Suite 100
Toronto ON M2J 4V8
416-916-8786
pharmamedical.ca
Probe It Food Safety 
Food Handler Certification
October 6, 2015Greater Toronto Area
416-662-3003
probeit.ca

Retail Council of Canada

FoodWise

September 5, 20141881 Yonge Street, Suite 800
Toronto ON M4S 3C4
1-888-373-8245
retailcouncil.org

ServSafe

Ontario Food Handler Training

December 5, 2016National Restaurant Association
233 South Wacker Drive, Suite 3600
Chicago IL 60606
312-715-1010 or 1-800-765-2122 
ServSafeInternational@restaurant.org
ServSafeInternational.com

ServeWell

Food Handler Certificate Course

February 11, 20201-888-551-6720


info@servewell.ca 
servewell.ca

Student Nutrition Ontario

Safe Food Handling Training Course for Student Nutrition Programs

November 16, 2023

2 Trethewey Drive, 4th Floor
Toronto ON M6M 4A8
studentnutritionontario.ca

Note: This program is only for volunteers of Student Nutrition Programs.

TrainCan

 

ADVANCED.fst - Manager Food Safety Training

December 18, 20131840 Clements Road, Suite 100
Pickering ON L1W 3R8
1-888-687-8796
traincan.com

TrainCan

BASIC.fst - Food Handler Safety Training

December 18, 20131840 Clements Road, Suite 100
Pickering ON L1W 3R8
1-888-687-8796
traincan.com

Train Food Safety

Food Handler Certification Course

November 14, 2017252 Bloor Street West 
Toronto ON M5S 1V6
1-833-872-4600
info@trainfoodsafety.ca
trainfoodsafety.ca

How to become a recognized Food Handler Training provider

Non-public health unit providers (such as commercial or private entities, educational institutions, non-profit associations) of food handler training in Ontario are encouraged to apply to the Ministry of Health to be evaluated for equivalency. Programs that are deemed to meet the requirements, and therefore be equivalent, will be recognized providers, and certificates issued will be accepted by all boards of health within Ontario.

To apply for food handler training and certification program recognition, providers must submit a completed Food Handler Program Equivalency Application form, along with relevant course materials and requested documentation.

Submission does not grant automatic recognition. Applications will be assessed based on standard program requirements. Additional requirements, modifications or changes to the program may be necessary to obtain recognition.

There is no fee for becoming a recognized provider.

Inquiries and requests for application materials can be directed to environmentalhealth@ontario.ca.

Ministry of Health’s Provincial Food Handler Training Manual

The content of the Ministry of Health's Provincial Food Handler Training Manual has been reproduced by the Ministry of Health (MOH) with the permission of the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit and is only available for use by public health units in Ontario.

The reproduction of this document in whole or in part, is not permitted without the express written consent of the MOH. Applications for provincial recognition found to have reproduced this document, in whole or in part, will not be assessed and will be requested to immediately cease copying, reproducing, or distributing the document and refrain from doing so in the future.

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This is a step-by-step guide to starting a home-based food business, along with a brief overview of public health requirements that must be followed as a food operator.