The Certified Food Handler course is beneficial to anyone involved in food handling in the food service industry, especially owners, operators, and staff of food premises. As of July 1, 2018, the Ontario Food Premises Regulation mandated that food service premises must have at least one certified food handler or supervisor on the premise when the premise is operating.
Upcoming Course Dates
At this time, there are no in-person Certified Food Handler courses scheduled for 2026. Once scheduled courses resume, the dates and communities will be posted here.
Other safe food handling course options are listed below.
Challenging the Food Safety Exam
This option is recommended for those who have expired certification, previously taken the full course, or who have vast experience and/or knowledge of proper food safety practices. We recommend taking the course again, but it is not mandatory.
To schedule an appointment to challenge the exam, please contact the duty inspector at 1-877-442-1212.
Students can also use the Food Safety Manual for self-study prior to challenging the exam. You can obtain our printed study guide in English at the Food Safety training locations. Self-study exams are held at our office locations by an appointment.
Other Safe Food Handling Courses
In addition to Northeastern Public Health’s (NEPH) food handler training program, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has recognized other programs, including an online program called "In Good Hands", and has deemed them to be equivalent to the training and certification offered by NEPH.
Have a question?
If you have any questions pertaining to food handler training or would like to book a course for your workplace, please contact us at 1-877-442-1212 or by e-mail at [email protected].
In accordance with the Ontario Regulation 493/17 Food Premises – Section 5, all food premises are required to notify the Medical Officer of Health at Northeastern Public Health (NEPH) of their operation.
Any person who wishes to open a food premises operation is required to complete and submit a Notice of Intent to Operate a Food Premises form (pending) and include a detailed floor plan.
The completed form and floor plan can be submitted to the NEPH:
- In person at any of our office locations
- By email: [email protected];
Home-based food businesses are permitted under the revised Health Protection and Promotion Act, provided the premise is inspected by Public Health and complies with the Food Premise Regulation.
Any person who wishes to open a home-based food business is also required to complete and submit a Home-Based Food Business Detailed Information form please call 1-877-442-1212.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Under the Ontario Regulation 493/17 Food Premises:
- Food premises are subject to inspections, which are made available to the public on the HealthWise Inspection Results
- Food service premises are also required to have a trained food handler on site at all times. For information on training, see our Become a Certified Food Handler section above
- It is also recommended to review any zoning by-laws, municipal permits, and licensing requirements that pertain to your region.
Contact Us
To speak with a public health inspector on the Environmental Health Team about a new or existing food premises, please call 1-877-442-1212.