Regulations & Licensing Requirements

The City of Toronto’s food premises inspection and disclosure system, DineSafe, requires all food establishments to:

  1. Meet or exceed all of the requirements and standards in the Ontario Food Premises Regulation 493/17, made under the Health Protection and Promotion Act.
  2. Comply with the new requirements under Toronto’s Toronto Municipal Code, Chapters 545 and 520.

Ontario Food Premises Regulation

All food premises operators in the Province of Ontario must, by law, follow specific requirements in order to operate a food premises. The Ontario Food Premises Regulation (O.Reg 493/17), indicates the minimum standards for food temperatures, food handling, sanitation, dishwashing and personal hygiene practices.

The Food Premises Regulation must be followed in any establishment where food or milk is manufactured, processed, stored, handled, displayed, distributed, transported, sold or offered for sale, excluding private residences.

Toronto’s Municipal Code

Toronto Municipal Code, Chapters 545 and 520 require all food premises to do the following:

  • Post the food safety inspection notice in an obvious place clearly visible to members of the public, at or near the entrance of the establishment.

In addition, Toronto Municipal Code 545-Licensing requires eating and drinking establishments (i.e. every place where food items intended for human consumption are made for sale, offered for sale, stored or sold), to do the following:

  • Post the Toronto eating or drinking establishment licence next to the food safety inspection notice.
  • Produce copies of the Toronto Public Health Food Safety Inspection Reports relating to the currently posted disclosure notice for the establishment, when requested by any person.
  • Notify the Toronto Municipal Licensing and Standards Division if there is a change in the management or control of the establishment.
  • Notify the Toronto Municipal Licensing and Standards Division of any change or changes to the operation of the business that may result in “risk classification changes”, at least 30 days prior to the change.