In Ontario, every food service premise must have at least one person who has completed food handler training on site during every hour it operates (O. Reg. 493/17, s. 32), and a caterer falls under that rule. The training comes from a public health unit or a provider the Ministry of Health has recognized, the Ministry's exam standard for health unit courses is a closed-book, proctored test of at least 50 questions with a 70% pass mark, and a health unit certificate expires five years after it is issued. In Ottawa, Algonquin College runs the in-class option Ottawa Public Health names, at $122.00 for its fall 2026 sections.
Section 32 is short: every operator of a food service premise shall ensure that at least one food handler or supervisor who has completed food handler training is on the premise during every hour in which the premise is operating. The definition in section 1(1) decides who it reaches. A food service premise is any food premise where meals or meal portions are prepared for immediate consumption, or sold or served in a form that permits immediate consumption, on the premises or elsewhere. The word elsewhere is the caterer's clause: food made in one kitchen and eaten at a reception, an office or a family party is covered.
The same section defines a food handler as anyone employed in a food premise who handles or comes into contact with utensils or food during preparation, processing, packaging, service, storage or transportation. Section 32 asks for one trained person per hour of operation, so the obligation is about presence. A small catering business with one certificate holder can run its kitchen only while that person is there. Two trained people let you split an early prep shift from an evening one, cover illness, and keep a booking when the usual cook is away. Work it through for a Saturday afternoon party: a prep block on Friday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and a finishing block on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. add up to ten hours of kitchen time, and a trained person has to be on the premise for all ten. A helper who washes, packs and loads the van counts as a food handler under the definition, because packaging and transportation are in it.
One group is exempt. Section 3.1, added by O. Reg. 471/19, lifts section 32, together with the handwashing station and dishwashing rules, for a premise that prepares only low-risk food and serves only low-risk or pre-packaged ready-to-eat food. Ottawa Public Health's operating rules for low-risk home-based food businesses say a trained food handler is not required, and the same page strongly recommends one. The exemption ends the moment a menu includes cheese, meat, dairy or eggs, which describes almost every catering menu. The line between the two classes, and what it means for cooking at home, is in our guide to starting a catering business from home.
Food handler training, as section 1(1) defines it, is food safety training provided by a local board of health, an agency of a board of health, or a program the Ministry has recognized as equivalent to its standards. The Ministry's page on food handler training and certification keeps the list of recognized programs and says every public health unit in Ontario accepts their certificates after the date each program is listed as equivalent. The list keeps changing: it shows Second Harvest's program for non-profit food programs recognized on September 15, 2026, one commercial course whose recognition runs from February 11, 2020 to September 28, 2025, and an application window for new providers open until November 13, 2026. Before paying for any online course, find its name and its dates on that Ministry page.
Ottawa Public Health accepts four routes: the in-class training at Algonquin College, the in-class and online programs recognized by the Ministry of Health, the online program called In Good Hands, and certificates issued by any other health unit or health authority in Ontario or Canada. OPH's own training page sends readers to Algonquin College's website for course details and to the Ministry's list for the approved courses. When you hire, ask for a copy of each person's certificate and note its issue date: a certificate from another health unit in Ontario or elsewhere in Canada is on the list OPH accepts, and the expiry date tells you when that person needs to re-challenge the exam.
The exam standard is written in the Ministry of Health's Operational Approaches for Food Safety Guideline (2019), Appendix A, which sets the requirements for health unit programs: a closed-book exam of at least 50 questions, a 70% pass rate, proctored conditions, and a course designed to take six to eight hours including the exam. The same guideline allows online exams to be written in person with the health unit or proctored by webcam, and states that certification expires five years after the date of issue. Commercial programs on the Ministry list are recognized as meeting the Ministry's minimum requirements for food handler training and certification, so check each provider's course length, exam format and fee before you pay.
Algonquin College's course, FOD5700, is a one-day course on safe food handling principles and practices. Candidates who score 70% or higher on the exam receive a provincially recognized certificate valid for five years. The fall 2026 schedule lists an on-campus section at the Woodroffe campus on Saturday, December 19, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and an online section on November 20, each at $122.00 in the domestic fees column. Algonquin's course notes describe its virtual sections as videoconference delivery with an online proctored exam, and a French-delivery option is listed as FOD5700F.
Fees are set by each provider. Thunder Bay District Health Unit, for example, lists $34.95 plus 13% HST for the In Good Hands online course, citing Board of Health resolution 103-2025 of November 19, 2025, and $75.00 plus HST for its in-class course. Ottawa Public Health publishes no fee of its own and points to Algonquin and the Ministry list. Budget the time as well as the fee: the Ministry designs health unit courses to take six to eight hours including the exam, so the person who sits it is out of the kitchen for a working day.
Renewal works by exam. The Ministry guideline says recertification may be obtained by passing the examination, and Ottawa Public Health gives you one calendar year from your certificate's expiry date to re-challenge it; proof of certification is required first, and anyone who cannot show it is turned away from the exam. OPH also lets people who completed a Ministry-recognized program or the In Good Hands course within the last year challenge the exam without sitting the course again, through Algonquin College's exam-only sessions. Put the expiry date in the business calendar the day the certificate arrives, along with the name of every staff member who holds one.
The certificate is also paperwork for the business itself. When you notify Ottawa Public Health of a new food premise, at least 14 days before opening, the application must include proof of food handler certification together with a floor and equipment plan, a brief description of the operation and the menu. That makes the course the first booking on a new caterer's calendar: the health review waits for it, and every hour of kitchen time after opening needs a certificate holder present.
A food handler certificate belongs to the person; the kitchen and the business carry their own obligations. The premise still needs the health review, the inspection and, in Ottawa, a City food premises licence when you hold premises of your own. Each of those, with who issues it and what it costs, is in our guide to catering licences in Ottawa.
OH! is a family business in Ottawa: Anastasiia Stepanenko started it in the summer of 2026 and runs it with her mother, Nataliia, and she also runs Cookiddoo Studio, cooking and baking classes for children in Kanata. OH! is preparing a partner programme; interest can be registered on our catering franchise page.
Ways to get a food handler certificate that Ottawa Public Health accepts
| Route | Format | Published fee | Who publishes the fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algonquin College FOD5700, Woodroffe campus | One day on campus, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. | $122.00 (fall 2026) | Algonquin College |
| Algonquin College FOD5700, online section | Online | $122.00 (fall 2026) | Algonquin College |
| Algonquin College FOD5700F | French delivery | Listed separately by Algonquin | Algonquin College |
| In Good Hands | Online course | $34.95 plus HST at Thunder Bay District Health Unit | Thunder Bay District Health Unit (one example) |
| Ministry-recognized program | In class or online | Set by the provider | The provider |
| Another health unit's certificate, Ontario or Canada | Already held | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Ontario food handler rules a caterer works to
| Rule | What it says | Where it is written |
|---|---|---|
| Who must be on site | At least one trained food handler or supervisor every hour the premise operates | O. Reg. 493/17, s. 32 |
| Who is a food handler | Anyone employed who handles food or utensils, service and transport included | O. Reg. 493/17, s. 1(1) |
| Low-risk exemption | Premises preparing only low-risk food skip s. 32 | O. Reg. 493/17, s. 3.1 |
| Exam | Closed-book, at least 50 questions, proctored | Ministry guideline 2019, Appendix A |
| Pass mark | 70% | Ministry guideline 2019; Algonquin College |
| Validity | Health unit certificates expire five years after issue; Algonquin states 5 years | Ministry guideline 2019; Algonquin College |
| Renewal | Re-challenge the exam within one calendar year of expiry | Ottawa Public Health |
| New premise | Proof of certification in the OPH application, 14 days before opening | Ottawa Public Health |
Common questions
How much is a food handler certificate in Ontario?
$122.00 at Algonquin College in Ottawa for its fall 2026 sections, in class or online. Thunder Bay District Health Unit lists $34.95 plus HST for the In Good Hands online course and $75.00 plus HST in class. Each provider sets its own fee.
How long is a food handler certificate valid in Ontario?
Five years from the date of issue for a health unit certificate, under the Ministry of Health's 2019 food safety guideline; Algonquin College states its certificate is valid for 5 years. Ottawa Public Health allows one calendar year after expiry to re-challenge the exam.
Can I get my food handler certificate online in Ontario?
Yes. Ministry-recognized online programs and the In Good Hands course are accepted by Ottawa Public Health, and under the Ministry guideline a health unit's online exam is written in person or proctored by webcam. Check that the program appears on the Ministry of Health's list before you pay.
Is a food handler certificate mandatory in Ontario?
Yes, for food service premises: at least one trained food handler or supervisor must be on site every hour the premise operates (O. Reg. 493/17, s. 32). Premises that prepare only low-risk food are exempt under section 3.1.
Do I need a food handler certificate to sell baked goods from home in Ottawa?
No, when everything you prepare is low-risk food such as cookies, brownies or most breads. Ottawa Public Health strongly recommends one anyway, and you still notify OPH at least 14 days before you open.
Food Handler Certificate in Ontario — the short version
- O. Reg. 493/17, s. 32: one person with food handler training on the premise during every hour a food service premise operates.
- Catering is covered: a food service premise includes meals prepared for immediate consumption on the premises or elsewhere.
- Premises that prepare only low-risk food are exempt from s. 32 under s. 3.1; most catering menus are not low-risk.
- Ministry exam standard for health unit courses: closed-book, at least 50 questions, 70% to pass, proctored; the certificate expires after five years.
- Ottawa Public Health accepts Algonquin College, Ministry-recognized programs, In Good Hands and other health units' certificates.
- Algonquin College's one-day course lists $122.00 for its fall 2026 sections, in class or online.
- Proof of food handler certification goes into the OPH application for a new food premise.
Sources: Government of Ontario, e-Laws — O. Reg. 493/17 Food Premises, ss. 1(1), 3.1, 32; Government of Ontario — Food handler training and certification; Ontario Ministry of Health — Operational Approaches for Food Safety Guideline (2019), Appendix A; Ottawa Public Health — Certified Food Handler Training; Algonquin College — Food Handler course FOD5700; Thunder Bay District Health Unit — Food Safety Course Fees; Ottawa Public Health — Starting a Food Premises; Ottawa Public Health — Operating a low-risk home-based food business.
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