Can you run a food business from home in Canada? The rules by province
Every province lets people sell some food made at home. Very few let you sell cooked meals from a home kitchen without inspections. Here's the difference, province by province, and what to do if your kitchen doesn't qualify.
· 2 min read
Search "how to start a tiffin service from home" and most articles say: cook in your kitchen, post on WhatsApp, start delivering. In Canada that skips the most important question, and getting it wrong can mean a fine or being shut down after you have customers.
Low-risk vs higher-risk food
Every province sorts food by risk. Low-risk foods don't need to be kept cold to stay safe: cookies, muffins, bread, candy, many jams. Higher-risk foods need time and temperature control: cooked rice, dal, curries, paneer, meat, anything with dairy that sits in a fridge.
That matters because the home-kitchen rules are almost all about low-risk food. A tiffin is a cooked meal, so it's higher-risk everywhere.
What each province allows
| Province | Low-risk food from home | Cooked meals (tiffins) from home |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | Allowed; notify public health; some rules relaxed | Possible only if the kitchen meets the full Food Premises Regulation and passes inspection, and zoning allows it |
| Alberta | Allowed under the Food Regulation (no refrigeration needed), with labels | Not covered by the home rules; needs a food handling permit and a suitable kitchen (ask AHS) |
| British Columbia | Lower-risk foods don't need approval | Needs a health operating permit; home kitchens are generally not allowed |
| Manitoba | Only non-hazardous foods at farmers' markets, bake sales and similar | Prohibited from a home kitchen; needs a permitted commercial kitchen |
Details, official links and city rules: Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba.
Three layers of rules
- Health: your local public health unit or health authority decides whether your kitchen can make your food, and inspects it.
- City: zoning decides whether a business can run from your address, and many cities need a business licence.
- Tax and registration: register your business, and register for GST/HST once you pass $30,000 in sales. See GST/HST for tiffin businesses.
Federal food licences (from the CFIA) are mainly for businesses that sell food across provincial borders or import and export. A local tiffin service selling within one province usually deals with the provincial and city layers.
If your home kitchen doesn't qualify
Many tiffin and meal prep businesses start in a shared commercial kitchen rented by the hour. Search "commercial kitchen rental" or "commissary kitchen" with your city's name, and ask community centres, places of worship and restaurants with quiet hours. The kitchen is already inspected and you skip the renovation.
- Ask for the hourly rate and the minimum hours per week.
- Check storage: fridge and dry space you can leave food in.
- Ask whether you can receive deliveries there and park a car to load.
- Get the health permit details in writing: whose permit covers you?
Things every food business needs
- Food handler certificate for whoever cooks. A short course; inspectors ask for it.
- Insurance. Commercial general liability, including product liability, covers you if a customer gets sick. A home insurance policy usually doesn't cover a business.
- Labels with ingredients and allergens. See food labels for home food businesses.
- Records of who you sold to and when, so you can reach customers if something goes wrong.
Once the rules are sorted, the guide to starting a tiffin service in Canada covers the menu, pricing and first customers.
Questions
Do I need a licence to sell food from home in Canada?
It depends on your province, your city and what you sell. Low-risk foods like cookies often need little or no approval. Cooked meals usually need a health permit or inspection, and often a commercial kitchen. Your city may also need a business licence.
Can I start a tiffin service from home?
In Ontario, possibly, if your home kitchen meets the full food premises rules and passes inspection, and your city's zoning allows it. In Alberta and BC, home kitchens are generally limited to low-risk foods. In Manitoba, home-based food businesses are prohibited apart from some low-risk foods at markets.
What is a low-risk food?
Food that is safe without refrigeration, like baked goods, candies and jams. Cooked curries, rice, dal and meat need refrigeration, so they are not low-risk.