Food handler training and certification
Learn about food handler training requirements and how to become certified.
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 a Food Handler Certificate
In Ontario, food handler training is provided by:
- local public health units, or
- 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 to receive food handling training and certification.
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 these providers after the date that they are listed as equivalent.
| Training provider | Contact information | Date of equivalency |
|---|---|---|
Above Training /StatefoodSafety Ontario Safe Food Handling Course | Available for select retail food stores and food service operations. | May 8, 2019 |
Advanced Health and Safety Consulting Ltd. Food Handler Certification Course (Chinese and English) | Markham Civic Center — Lower Level, 101 Town Centre Boulevard | December 4, 2024 |
A Poetic Health Food Handler Certification | 35 Brian Peck Crescent, Unit 1509 East York ON M4G 0A5 info@apoetichealth.com apoetichealth.com | November 9, 2017 |
Academy of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences Food Handling Certificate | 200 Consumers Road, Suite 200 North York ON M2J 4R4 aaps.ca | October 29, 2013 |
Accents Multilingual Workplace Training Fundamentals of Safe Food Handling | April 5, 2019 | |
Acticert Food Handler Certification Course | 7896 Tranmere Drive, Unit 224 Mississauga ON L5S 1V9 Acticert.com | December 4, 2023 |
Aims Health & Safety Training Essential Food Safety Training | 11 Hyslop Avenue Hannon ON L0R 1P0 | February 23, 2015 |
Audmax Inc. The Art and Science of Safe Food | 2426 Padstow Crescent Mississauga ON L5J 2G4 maxcine@audmaxinc.com audmaxinc.com | September 10, 2018 |
BacOff Food Safety & Hygiene Training and Consulting Food Handler Certification Course | Toronto ON bacofffoodsafety@gmail.com bacoff.ca | May 12, 2017 |
Benny & Co Formation hygiène et salubrité alimentaire – Manipulateurs d’aliments | Available to employees of Benny & Co. | January 7, 2019 |
Canadian Food Safety Consulting Group Ltd. SafeCheck™ Advanced Food Safety | 5251 48 Avenue, South East, Unit 70 Calgary AB T2B 3S2 canadianfoodsafety.com | July 17, 2015 |
Canadian Food Safety Training Inc. Canadian Food Safety Training | Long Branch Legion 1013850 Lake Shore Blvd W Etobicoke, ON M8W 1R3 | December 24, 2014 |
Canadian Institute of Food Safety Food Handler Certification Course | Level 3, 500 King Street West Toronto ON M5V 1L9 support@foodsafety.ca foodsafety.ca | May 12, 2017 |
Chinese Food Services Safety Consultancy Food Handler Certification Training | 2-138 D’arcy Street Toronto ON M5T 1K3 | December 23, 2024 |
Community and Family Services of Ontario CFSO Food Handler Certification | 4051 Gordon Baker Road, Unit A Scarborough ON M1W 2P3 cfso.care | June 20, 2023 |
Food Consulting and Labeling Solutions Food Safety Handler Certification Program | 682 David Street Welland ON L3B 2B9 ricferrusi@gmail.com | June 23, 2015 |
FoodPrep Inc. Food Handler Certification | 4040 Steeles Avenue West Unit 44, Suite 11 Woodbridge ON L4L 4Y5 training@foodprep.ca foodprep.ca | April 3, 2017 |
FOODSAFETYPRO.CA INC. Food Safety Handler Certification | On-site training for GTA, Toronto and Ontario info@foodsafetypro.ca foodsafetypro.ca | December 9, 2024 |
FoodSafe4U by Excellent Learning Ontario Food Handlers Training and Certification | 851 Industrial Road, Suite 42 Ottawa ON K1G 4L3 foodsafe4u.com | May 25, 2022 |
FoodSafetyTraining.ca Online Food Handler Certification Course | Chatham ON help@foodsafetytraining.ca foodsafetytraining.ca | December 11, 2013 |
Food VisionInc. Food Handler Certification Course | 4000 Steeles Avenue West, Unit 216 Vaughan ON L4L 4V9 training@foodvisioninc.com foodvisioninc.com | January 20, 2022 |
Freeborn & Associates Inc., Food Safety Market Managing Food Safety | July 3, 2018 | |
Hamilton Wentworth District School Board Food Handler Certification Course | 465 East 16th Street 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. | April 29, 2021 |
Hospitality Training Action Food Handler Certification Training | 301-40 Spadina Avenue Toronto ON M5V 1E3 hta75.com | November 29, 2024 |
Indigenous Services Canada First Nations and Inuit Health Food Safety Training | 195 Henry Street, Unit 6C Brantford ON N3S 5C9 | April 11, 2014 |
Indocert Inc. Food Safety Handler Certification | 87 Loggers Grove London ON N5W 6G5 indocert.ca | December 23, 2024 |
InstaCert Food Handler Certificate Course | info@instacert.ca instacert.ca | February 11, 2020 |
| Kenora Chiefs | 240 Veterans Drive, Third Floor P.O. Box 349 Kenora, ON P9N 3X4 | February 27, 2024 |
KnowledgeWare Communications Corp. Food Safety for Food Handlers | 11763 Darby Street Maple Ridge BC V2X 5G1 kccsoft.com | September 20, 2018 |
Lambton College Safe Food Handling | 1457 London Road Sarnia ON N7S 6K4 https://www.lambtoncollege.ca/courses/course?id=SFHMR-0010 | November 14, 2023 |
Matawa First Nations Management Food Handler Training Certification | Matawa First Nations Management 233 Court Street South Thunder Bay ON P7B 2X9 | June 12, 2020 |
Meat and Poultry Ontario Food Handler Training For the Industry | 130 Malcolm Road Note: This course is intended for individuals working in certain meat processing facilities. Please visit the website for further details. | March 24, 2023 |
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Food Safety Training | 300 Water Street, South Tower Peterborough ON K9J 8M5 | June 10, 2015 |
Nokiiwin Tribal Council Food Handler Certification Course | 384 Fort William Road Thunder Bay ON KP7B 2Z3 nokiiwin.com | June 20, 2023 |
Noraxx Inspections Inc. Noraxx Inspections Food Handler Certification Course | 692 Catalina Crescent Burlington ON L7L 5B8 noraxx.ca | July 26, 2021 |
Peel Career Assessment Services Inc. PCAS: Food Handling Certificate Program | 975 Meyerside Drive Mississauga ON L5T 1P9 services@peelcareer.com peelcareer.com | March 27, 2025 |
Pharma-Medical Science College of Canada Food Handler | 505 Consumers Road, Suite 100 Toronto ON M2J 4V8 pharmamedical.ca | September 20, 2018 |
Poseidon H2O Food Handler Safety Training | 279 Wembley Drive Sudbury ON P3E 1N6 contacts@poseidonh2o.ca poseidonh2o.ca | November 29, 2024 |
| Probe It Food Safety Food Handler Certification | Greater Toronto Area probeit.ca | October 6, 2015 |
Retail Council of Canada FoodWise | 1881 Yonge Street, Suite 800 Toronto ON M4S 3C4 retailcouncil.org | September 5, 2014 |
ServSafe Ontario Food Handler Training | National Restaurant Association 233 South Wacker Drive, Suite 3600 Chicago IL 60606 ServSafeInternational@restaurant.org ServSafeInternational.com | December 5, 2016 |
ServeWell Food Handler Certificate Course | February 11, 2020 | |
Student Nutrition Ontario Safe Food Handling Training Course for Student Nutrition Programs | 2 Trethewey Drive, 4th Floor Note: This program is only for volunteers of Student Nutrition Programs. | November 16, 2023 |
TrainCan
ADVANCED.fst - Manager Food Safety Training | 1895 Clements Road, Unit 117 Pickering ON L1W 3V5 traincan.com | December 18, 2013 |
TrainCan BASIC.fst - Food Handler Safety Training | 1895 Clements Road, Unit 117 Pickering ON L1W 3V5 traincan.com | December 18, 2013 |
Train Food Safety Food Handler Certification Course | 252 Bloor Street West Toronto ON M5S 1V6 info@trainfoodsafety.ca trainfoodsafety.ca | November 14, 2017 |
Worksite Safety Compliance Centre Food Handler Certification | 55 Head Street, Suite 401 Dundas ON L9H 3H8 worksitesafety.ca/product/training/online/food-handler-certification | December 23, 2024 |
Become a recognized Food Handler Training provider
To become a recognized food handler training provider in Ontario, organizations must apply to the Ministry of Health. The ministry will evaluate your application for equivalency with the provincial standard. Successful applications will be granted provincial recognition to offer food handler training in Ontario.
Eligible applicants
Eligible applicants, include non-public health units, such as:
- commercial or private entities
- educational institutions
- non-profit associations
Training programs that meet the requirements set out in the application and evaluation process will become recognized providers of Food Handler Training by all boards of health within Ontario.
We accept applications twice a year in Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter.
Application Status: Open from Wednesday August 13, 9 a.m. ET to Friday, October 3, 11:59 p.m. ET.
How to apply
To apply for food handler training and certification program recognition, providers must submit the following for evaluation:
- a completed Food Handler Program Equivalency Application form
- relevant course materials
- requested documentation related to the course development and delivery
Evaluation
We evaluate applications in accordance with standard program requirements and for overall course quality.
After we evaluate your application, additional requirements, modifications or changes to the proposed program may be necessary to get recognition.
Fee
There is no fee to apply or become a recognized provider.
Contact us
Email for more information on the application process and to request the application materials. Use the subject line "Inquiry Regarding the Food Handler Training Program."
Guide to starting a home-based food business
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.