Food Safety in Schools

When food is made available at schools, the school is considered a food premise and is required to be inspected by Public Health in accordance with the Ontario Food Premises Regulation, 493/17.

Food safety is especially important in schools, as children are at a higher risk of acquiring a foodborne illness.

When is a school considered a food premises? 

A food premises is a location where food or milk is manufactured, processed, prepared, stored, handled, displayed, distributed, transported, sold or offered for sale.

In a school setting, examples of food premises may include (and are not limited to):

  • Cafeteria services
  • Student nutrition programs (e.g., breakfast or snack programs)
  • Food pantries

Food that is delivered to the school (e.g., pizza lunches and/or catered lunches) must be from an inspected source. Visit YorkSafe to look up the most current inspection reports.

York Region Public Health supports schools

York Region Public Health works together with school boards to ensure food is prepared, stored and served safely to reduce the risk of foodborne illness by: 

  • Inspecting food premises to ensure they meet the requirements of Ontario Food Premises Regulation, 493/17
  • Providing information on safe food handling
  • Supporting schools providing Food Handler Certification to students
  • Working with schools who provide school nutrition programs
  • Working with school boards on food safety matters including special events

When to notifying public health

If you are adding a student nutrition program, opening a cafeteria or any other food service facility, you must notify York Region Public Health by:

Public Health Inspectors visit schools in York Region to gain a better understanding of the current food programs that exist within each school and to conduct routine food safety inspections. If your school would like to schedule a food safety inspection in advance, please reach out to Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653 ext. 4.

Special events

If you are inviting the public to a special event such as a fair, festival or carnival and are using the services of a food vendor(s), you are required to inform York Region Public Health and comply with applicable regulations and guidelines of the Health Protection and Promotion Act. 

A public event is defined as a social gathering of the greater community outside of staff, students, employees, where anyone could attend or purchase a ticket for entry to the event. A private event is by invitation only, where an event is thrown for staff, students and their guardians, and/or a guest list. Examples of common private events include Parents’ Night at a school, an employee appreciation dinner, a staff only retirement party, or a wedding.

Before planning a public event, please submit the Organizer Application Event Form and Vendor Application Event Form to York Region Public Health.

York Region Public Health has developed guidelines to assist schools to prevent the risk of food-borne illness. For more information, visit Special Events, Farmers' Markets and Wild Game Dinner.

If you have questions regarding public or private special events at your school, please call Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653, ext. 4 or email @email 

Food inspections

Public health inspectors are required to inspect all food premises located within York Region to make sure that they meet the requirements of the Ontario Food Premises Regulation, 493/17.

Each food premises in York Region is assigned a risk category of either high, moderate, or low based on an annual site-specific risk assessment done by a public health inspector. A food premises’ risk category will determine how many times they are inspected per year.

  • High risk premises are inspected a minimum of three times a year
  • Moderate risk premises are inspected a minimum of twice a year
  • Low risk premises are inspected a minimum of once a year 

What We Check for During Inspections

During inspections, public health inspectors check that proper food safety practices are followed in the areas of:

  • Potentially Hazardous Food kept at an internal temperature of 4°C (40°F) and lower or 60°C (140°F) and higher 
  • Food is held in frozen state 
  • Thermometers used to verify potentially hazardous food storage temperatures (cold and hot holding)
  • Food handler hygiene and handwashing
  • Food protection from contamination and adulteration
  • Maintenance/sanitation of food contact surfaces/utensils/equipment 
  • Maintenance/sanitation of non-food contact surfaces/utensils/equipment
  • Pest control
  • Sanitary maintenance and construction of establishment 
  • Certified Food Handler requirements

For more information, see a sample Food Safety Inspection Report.

Regulation exemptions

Food premises that prepare only low-risk, ready to eat, pre-packaged food items are exempt from some requirements under the Food Premises Regulation. 

Low-risk food is food that is not potentially hazardous.

Ready-to-eat food is food that has no extra processing steps before eating.

Pre-packaged food is food that is packaged at a location other than where it is offered for sale.

Examples of low-risk, pre-packaged, or ready-to-eat foods include whole vegetables, whole fruits, crackers, etc.

Potentially hazardous food is food in a form or state that is capable of supporting the growth of microorganisms and which requires time and temperature control to limit such growth. Examples of potentially hazardous food include milk, yogurt, cheese, meat, eggs, cut fruits and vegetables, cooked rice and pasta, etc.

If your school prepares only low-risk and/or ready-to-eat food items, you may be exempt from some requirements under the Food Premises Regulation. 

A food program preparing only low-risk and/or ready-to-eat food items will not require:

  • A designated hand washing sink (but hand washing is still required)
  • Compliance with commercial dishwashing (but cleaning and sanitizing dishes and utensils after each use is still required)
  • A certified food handler (but is strongly recommended)

For a complete outline of the requirements and examples, please refer to Food Safety Inspections and School Food Service Programs. 

If you are adding or changing foods offered at your student nutrition program, please notify York Region Public Health prior to making any changes.

If you have questions regarding the exemption from the Ontario Food Premises Regulation, please call Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653, ext. 4 or email @email. 

Cleaning and sanitizing

The Ontario Food Premises Regulation, 493/17 outlines the approved sanitizers to be used on food contact surfaces. Please check with your school board to confirm what approved sanitizer for food contact surfaces can be used in your school. Read and follow the instructions for its use.

Pest control

York Region Public Health investigates complaints related to rodent infestations in food premises, including schools and institutions, hospitals and child care centres. It is responsibility of a food premises to protect the premises against the entry of pests or any conditions that can lead to the harbouring or breeding of pests.

The owner/operator of all food premises must keep records for pest control measures that have occurred within each school, including the actions taken by third-party operators for at least one year and have them available if requested by the Public Health Inspector as a part of their inspection.

For more information on preventing rats and rodent infestations, please visit Preventing Rats and Rodent Infestations.

Food Handler Certification Requirement

Under the Food Premises Regulation, owners/operators of a food service premises must ensure that there is at least one Certified Food Handler onsite at all times.

A food service premises is any food premises where meals or meal portions are prepared for immediate consumption or sold or served in a form that will permit immediate consumption on the premises or elsewhere. An example may include a school cafeteria or a food program where food or milk is provided on an ongoing basis and involves food preparation (e.g., cutting cheese, cooking eggs, etc.). 

Food premises that prepare and serve only low risk foods and/or prepackaged food items do not require a certified food handler onsite at all items. 

Learn more about how to obtain Food Handler Certification.

Food Handler Certification for Student Nutrition Programs

The Safe Food Handling Training Course for Student Nutrition Programs by Student Nutrition Ontario meets the requirements for food handler training and certification. This online certification training course is free of cost and valid for 5 years.

Certification for this course will only be accepted by public health units within Ontario from individuals working and/or volunteering as part of a recognized student nutrition program. This certificate is not accepted for any other type of food service premises. 

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