trainfoodsafety

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about certification, exams, course access, and more. If you need further assistance, contact our team here.

General

This course is for anyone who needs a Food Handler Certification to work with food in Canada. It is ideal for staff and job seekers in restaurants, cafés, hotels, long term care homes, day cares, food trucks, catering, and other food service settings.

Train Food Safety is a recognized food handler certification course in Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.

Food safety and food handler certification are managed by provincial and territorial health authorities in Canada rather than by one national program.

Train Food Safety is currently recognized as an equivalent course in Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.

We are actively working to get our course approved in other provinces.

If you live or work in another province or territory, we recommend checking with your local public health or licensing office to confirm their current requirements. You can also review general food safety information from Health Canada at Canada Food Safety.

Yes. Only approved providers can offer an online Food Handler Certification that is recognized by provincial and territorial governments.

Train Food Safety’s online course and proctored exam are recognized in Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island. You complete the training at your own pace and write the final exam online with a camera enabled device.

Once you pass the exam, your Food Handler Certificate is issued and you can download it right away.

The cost of the online course and exam is $49.95 CAD plus tax. This includes the full online course, practice quiz, final exam, and a digital Food Handler Certificate emailed to you.

You can also upgrade to a physical package that includes a printed wall certificate on premium paper and a durable plastic wallet ID card mailed to you for an additional $30 plus tax. Physical certificates are sent via Canada Post and usually arrive within about two weeks.

Employers and groups can purchase multiple seats at once and assign them to staff through the Group Manager tools.

Your Food Handler Certificate is valid for five years from the date you pass the exam.

Many employers and health authorities across Canada recommend renewing every five years to keep your knowledge up to date. 

There are no formal prerequisites for taking the Food Handler Certification course. The course and certificate are open to anyone who wants to learn safe food handling.

To write the final online exam you will need:

• A device with a camera (laptop, cellphone, tablet, or desktop computer with a camera)
• A government issued photo identification card (driver’s license, health card, photo ID card, passport, Refugee Protection Claimant Document or Identity Document, or a school ID card with photo)
• A quiet, well lit area where you can be alone
• A strong and stable internet connection
• About one hour that you can dedicate to the exam without interruptions

Yes. The online course and exam must be completed within 30 days of registration.

You can log in and out as often as you like during that time. Your progress is saved so you can complete the modules and exam when it fits your schedule.

You can download a new copy of your digital certificate anytime from your student account.

  1. Go to the student login page here.
  2. Log in with your username and password.
  3. Click your name at the top right corner and select “Profile”.
  4. Choose the “My certificates” link to view and download your Food Handler Certificate.

If you are having trouble logging in or accessing your certificate, email us at info@trainfoodsafety.ca and we will be happy to help.

A digital certificate is included with every course enrolment. After you pass the exam, you receive an email with a printable PDF that includes a wallet sized card and a full sized wall certificate.

A physical certificate package includes a full sized wall certificate printed on premium paper and a plastic wallet ID card similar to a bank card. Physical certificates cost an additional $30 plus tax and can be added at checkout or purchased later from your account. They are mailed via Canada Post and usually arrive within about two weeks.

If someone else registered you, you should receive two emails from Train Food Safety. The first explains how the course works and the second contains your username and password.

If you did not receive your login details, please contact us so we can resend them or reset your password using the lost password page here.

If you need accommodations for the final exam, please contact us before you book or begin the exam by emailing info@trainfoodsafety.ca.

Depending on your needs, accommodations may include extra time on the exam or allowing a support person to assist you during the exam. In cases where a helper is present, an Exam Assistance agreement must be signed by both the test taker and the helper. This form is available on request.

There are two ways to purchase the Food Handler course for another person or for a team.

Purchase for one person
 When asked “Who will take the course?” select “Someone else”. You will be prompted for their name and email address. An account is created for them and they are registered in the course automatically. They will receive their username and password by email.

Group purchase
 If you would like to purchase the course for two or more people, select “For groups” at the top of the checkout (or increase the quantity to two or more if you are already on the checkout screen). Enter a group name, such as “ABC Pizza” or “Food Service Staff”.
After checkout, go to the Group Manager and add each participant. They will receive an email with their login details and instructions for accessing the course.

To add more people to your existing group, go to the Group Manager page here and select your group from the “Select group” list.

• If you need additional seats, click “Buy credits” at the top, choose how many you need, and complete the checkout.
• Return to the Group Manager screen and click “Enroll user”.
• Enter the participant’s first name, last name (as it appears on their government ID), and email address, then click “Enroll user”.

They will be registered in the course and will receive an email with their username, password, and login instructions. Repeat this process for each new participant.

There is no single national Food Handler card in Canada. Each province and territory sets its own rules for Food Handler Certification.

Train Food Safety’s course is currently recognized in Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island. Many employers across Canada accept our certificate, but if you are unsure, it is always a good idea to confirm with your local public health office or employer.

No. Food Handler’s Certification is managed at the provincial level. Each province has their own certificate. 

Train Food Safety is a recognized Food Handler Certification course in Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.

Employers in these provinces accept our certificate for roles that require Food Handler training, including restaurants, cafés, catering, long term care, grocery, and other food service jobs. If you are applying for a specific role, you can mention that you completed a provincially recognized online Food Handler Certification course.

Online Course

Train Food Safety’s online Food Handler Certification course takes most learners about six to eight hours to complete from start to finish.

You do not need to do it all at once. You can log in and out as often as you like and work through the modules in shorter sessions. Your progress is saved automatically, and you have up to 30 days from registration to finish the course and final exam.

The final Food Handler exam is a 50 question multiple choice test. You must score at least 70 percent (35 out of 50 questions correct) within the one hour time limit to pass and receive your certificate.

If you do not pass on your first try, we offer free and unlimited exam retakes. Before another attempt, you may be asked to review the course modules again so you feel more confident for the next exam.

No. The final exam is not open book. It is a closed book exam, which means you cannot use notes, textbooks, the online course, or any other resources during the test.

The questions are based on the material covered in the online Food Handler course, so completing all modules and practice questions will help prepare you for the exam.

You do not need an in person supervisor for the exam. The online Food Handler exam is proctored virtually.

You will need a device with a camera (laptop, cellphone, tablet, or desktop computer with a camera). The camera is used to monitor the exam session and confirm that you are following the exam rules.

At this time, the Food Handler course and exam are offered in basic English only. The content is written in clear, plain language to support a wide range of learners.

If English is not your first language and you think you may need support, please email us at info@trainfoodsafety.ca to discuss possible accommodations.

If you do not pass the exam, do not worry. We offer free exam retakes at no additional cost.

About 99% of students who complete the course will pass the Food Handler exam on their first attempt. You are welcome to try again as many times as needed. We may require you to review the course modules and practice questions again before you retake the exam so you feel more confident.

To write the final online Food Handler exam you will need:

• A device with a camera (laptop, cellphone, tablet, or desktop computer with camera)
• A government issued photo identification card (driver’s licence, health card, photo ID card, passport, Refugee Protection Claimant Document or Identity Document, or a school student ID card with photo)
• A quiet, well lit area where you can be alone
• A strong, stable internet connection
• About one hour that you can dedicate to the exam without interruptions

The exam rules are as follows:

• You must be alone for the entire duration of the exam.
• You may not communicate with anyone else during the exam.
• You may not use any external resources such as notes, textbooks, online course material, or your phone.
• You must remain in view of the camera for the full exam.Important: If these rules are not followed, the exam session will be considered invalid and a Food Handler Certificate will not be issued.

The online Food Handler Certification course is made up of three parts:

  1. Online course modules – There are ten modules with videos, slides, quiz questions, and interactive activities. These cover all of the food safety topics you need to know to pass the exam and work safely with food.
  2. Practice exam questions – You can complete 50 practice questions that look similar to the real exam. This helps you check your understanding and get comfortable with the question style.
  3. Final proctored exam – The final exam is 50 multiple choice questions and one hour long. You must score at least 70 percent to pass. The exam must be written on a device with a camera because provincial health authorities require that Food Handler exams be monitored.

You can access the course and exam 24 hours a day, seven days a week from any camera enabled device with internet. After you pass the exam, your digital certificate and wallet ID are emailed to you so you can start using your Food Handler Certification right away.

Technical

To complete the online Food Handler final exam, you will need:

• A device with a camera (laptop, smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer with a webcam)
• A government issued photo ID such as a driver’s licence, health card, passport, photo ID card, school ID card with a photo, or a Refugee Protection Claimant/Identity Document (“Brown Paper”)
• A quiet, well lit space where you can be alone during the exam
• A strong, stable internet connection
 • One uninterrupted hour to complete the exam

These requirements ensure that your exam session meets provincial food safety certification standards.

Yes. You will need an active internet connection to access the online course modules, complete the practice questions, and write the proctored final exam.

A stable connection is recommended to prevent interruptions during videos and the exam session meets provincial food safety certification standards.

For the best experience, we recommend completing the course using Google Chrome on most devices, or Safari if you are using an iPhone or iPad.

These browsers provide the most reliable performance for videos, quizzes, and the monitored final exam.

Yes. You can complete the entire Food Handler course, including the final exam on any device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

Just make sure your device has a working camera for the exam, and that you have a quiet space with a strong internet connection.

About Train Food Safety

Train Food Safety is a team of experienced educators and food industry professionals dedicated to making food safety training accessible, simple, and effective.

Our team is based in Toronto, Ontario and Calgary, Alberta. We deliver a modern online learning experience that meets provincial food safety standards and helps thousands of Canadians earn their Food Handler Certification every year.

Yes. All payments on our website are processed securely through Stripe, a global leader in encrypted online payments.

Your full credit card details are never stored on our servers. Stripe handles the payment using industry-standard security and fraud protection.

Yes. Your information is stored using secure, encrypted connections through Amazon Web Services (AWS).

We do not store any credit card numbers or financial information. All personal data is protected and handled according to strict security standards to keep your account safe.