Food Safety for Professionals
As a public health unit, we provide a variety of resources and services to professionals in the food service industry.
Food premises operators
Under the Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Act R.S.O. 1990, anyone intending to operate food premises must notify your local public health agency. All food premises operators are required by law to follow the Ontario Food Premises Regulation 493 (O.Reg. 493/17: Food Premises). This includes public markets, mobile food preparation vehicles, and home food premises.
Under Regulation 493, food premises are to have at least one person on-site with their Safe Food Handling Certificate (or equivalent) at all times during operational hours.
NWHU conducts regular inspections of all food premises to ensure compliance with Ontario regulations, and that food premises operators are using safe food handling practices. Inspection results are disclosed on our ChooseWise website and on-site as well as we outline on our On-Site Disclosure System page.
Food safety information for professionals
Important information for professionals includes:
- Opening, operating, or renovating a food premise
- Home-based businesses: Creating a food safety plan
- Public health inspections: Disclosure
- Regulations and set fines
Opening, operating, or renovating a food premise
Anyone planning to open, operate, renovate or move a food premise must submit a Notice of Intent to Operate or Relocate a Food Premises application. There is no fee to submit an application. Contact your local NWHU office to speak to a public health inspector if you have questions about the application or about the process.
Home-based businesses: Creating a food safety plan
If you are planning to prepare food within your home, you must complete a Food Safety Plan Information for Home-Based Food Businesses and submit it to NWHU. The food safety plan will help to determine risk and to reduce any potential health hazards.
Public health inspections: Disclosure
NWHU uses an evidence-based, on-site disclosure system for operators of food premises. In addition to online disclosure through our ChooseWise website, food premises must publicly display signs, that indicate how well they adhere to the laws that protect consumers from infections and food-borne illnesses.
Regulations and set fines
The Health Protection and Promotion Act O. Reg 493 Food Premises delegates authority to public health inspectors to use enforcement actions when food premises are not operating within regulations. To view a list of set fines, refer to Schedule 41 of the Provincial Offences Act. NWHU also discloses inspection results as we outline on our On-Site Disclosure System page.