Your certificate will be generated and emailed to you on successful completion of the course. This usually happens within a few minutes, but in unusual circumstances could be delayed up to 24 hours if a more involved review of your final exam is required. The certificate comes to by email in PDF format in duplicate…one with a background, the other with a blank background that can be printed on your own certificate paper. A wallet sized card that can be printed and laminated is also included. You (or your school) should print the certificate, preferably on a color printer.
Food Safety for Food Handlers Training
An online training course for Canadian food handlers. Five year certificate valid in BC/YT/SK/MB/ON/NS/NB/NL/PE.
Get your certificate in as little as one day from the privacy of your home or office!
BONUS! Includes WHMIS for Food Handlers optional course for a more complete qualification. Canada’s most comprehensive level 1 training.
- Quick Facts
- Certification
- What Does it Cost?
- What will I Learn?
- Why This Course?
- Course Requirements
- FAQ's
- REGISTER
Convenient Food Safety Training from Home or Office
Food Safety for Food Handlers is an online food safety training course delivered on your computer or mobile device. This course has been developed to be equivalent in content and meeting the requirements set out in the National Guidelines for Food Safety Training Programs in the Food Retail and Food Service Sectors. In addition, this course contains information on the important topic of your personal safety.
Progress at your own pace in the privacy of your own home or office through ten easy-to-use interactive modules. Each module contains text, graphics, audio, real-world news, self-test features, and printable summaries. You may stop the course anytime and resume it later. Help is available by phone or email. You may review modules until you are ready to challenge the final exam. If you are unsuccessful on your first attempt, you may repeat the exam after a 24 hour period.
Your 5 year certificate issued on successful completion is recognized in most Canadian Provinces and Territories as meeting the requirements of the Provincial/Territorial food premises regulations. Certificate holders have a demonstrated understanding of food safety principles and find it easier to find jobs in the food industry.
Receive your certificate by email!
About Your Certificate
Is the Certificate Recognized? Yes. The ‘Food Safety for Food Handlers’ certificate is recognized in BC / YT / SK / MB / ON / NS / NB / PE / NL as meeting the requirements of the Provincial/Territorial food premises regulations for Level 1 Food Handler training. Application for recognition is currently underway in NU/NT. The official certificate contains a unique ID number and is valid for 5 years.
Why Isn’t it Recognized in Every Province? This course has been online in British Columbia since 2008. In the last several years we’ve expanded it to other regions, but we simply haven’t had time to get everywhere yet. Application has been made to all Provinces and Territories excepting QB and AB. Our course is in English only – we will not be creating a French version at this time. The AB training standard varies somewhat from other regions. As a Canadian national training standard is currently (2020) in development, we’re hoping this standard becomes available soon and we’ll meet it – which will cover AB. Call us if you need more information!
What Does it Cost?
$79 plus applicable tax. There are no ‘hidden fees’. This includes the Food Safety for Food Handlers five year certification course AND WHMIS for Food Handlers course.
This price covers the cost of the course and your 5-year certificate. It also covers the cost of electronic proctoring of the final exam, with up to 4 attempts. If you exceed 4 attempts, we reserve the right to charge $25 for each additional attempt.
How do I Pay?
You can pay for this course on the checkout page with any common type of credit card. Or, if you prefer, you can call us at 1-800-893-9333 9-5PM Mon-Fri Pacific time.
What about Refunds?
We will provide a full refund in the event of insurmountable technical difficulties that prevent the course from running. If you go over your 30 day time limit for the completing the course, we’ll reset it at your request for no charge.
Why is it more than some other courses?
Food safety courses are very competitive, some are priced less, as others are priced higher. This course is priced in the middle, based on competitive factors, and on the cost to develop and maintain it over the long term with personal attention to clients. Government agencies take food training very seriously, and they make us work very hard to get accreditation…. $79 works out to about $16 per year over a five year period. We think this is excellent value, especially since it includes the WHMIS for Food Service Workers course below which is valued at about $25. Having the WHMIS certificate is an added bonus in the eyes of employers.
Here is what you will learn in the Food Safety course:
Introduction
- discuss the importance and implications of food safety
- state your safety rights and responsibilities
Microbiology
- describe microbes and pathogens
- state where pathogens can be found
- list ways pathogens are spread
- describe how pathogens survive and reproduce
- list the conditions needed for pathogens to survive and reproduce
- list ways of controlling pathogen survival and reproduction
- explain how pathogen survival and reproduction is affected by temperature
- explain why destroying pathogens does not
- guarantee food safety
- protect yourself from bloodborne illnesses
Foodborne Illness
- distinguish between chemical and biological
- food contamination
- list sources of chemical contamination
- identify sources of biological contamination
- provide examples of physical contamination
- describe how pathogens are spread
- explain how food infection differs from food intoxication
- state how you can prevent and control pathogen reproduction
- protect yourself at work
Personal Hygiene and Health
- explain how you can break the cycle of transmission
- list ways poor personal hygiene spreads pathogens
- discuss how good personal hygiene reduces the spread of pathogens
- dress and groom yourself to minimize the risk of spreading pathogens
- state when food handlers should wash their hands
- properly wash your hands
- explain what food handlers should do when they are ill
- describe how personal habits can spread pathogens
- protect yourself at work
Serving and Dispensing
- safely clean and set tables
- safely store utensils and dishes
- explain why cracked or chipped dishes, cups, and glasses should be thrown out
- discuss why single service items should only be used once
- safely serve food
- explain how you can reduce the amount food is handled
- describe how to protect self serve food
- discuss why foods that have been served should not be re-used
- safely clear tables and counters
- protect yourself at work
Preparing and Protecting Food
- state which foods are potentially hazardous
- describe how pathogens are spread
- state which foods are relatively safe
- explain how the time foods are kept at unsafe temperatures affects food safety
- explain how temperature can be used to protect foods
- protect yourself at work
Receiving and Storing Food
- safely receive and store food
- describe reasons for rejecting incoming food
- state how different types of food should be stored
- apply the “first in first out” rule
- protect yourself at work
Dishwashing and Storage
- describe how proper dishwashing and storage
- procedures can prevent food contamination
- use the correct temperature settings for washing and sanitizing ware
- state the concentrations needed for different chemical sanitizers
- test the concentration levels of different chemical sanitizers
- correctly store ware
- protect yourself at work
Planning for Food Safety
- outline the requirements of HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points)
- explain the basics of a food sanitation plan
- discuss methods of controlling pests
- list the main food premise requirements
A summary and self-test is included in all modules. Personal safety topics include: Bloodborne pathogens, sharps, blood and body fluid spills, personal protective equipment, preventing injuries, lifting correctly, preventing cuts, slips, and burns, and ladder safety. Also covered are worker rights. Case studies, real world youtube movies, simulations, graphics, and news items add relevance.
Why This Course?
Food Safety for Food Handlers has been online since 2008 in British Columbia, meaning that many students have graduated as we’ve optimized the content and delivery. You will benefit from many suggestions made by those students. This course is available immediately and can be done from the privacy of your home or office.
Unlike most courses, Food Safety for Food Handlers provides the extra element of personal safety in the high-accident food industry. We felt that it was important that new workers understand the dangers they may be exposed to and how to protect themselves. The addition of free access to the WHMIS for Food Service Workers course (about 60 minutes to complete) means that you will receive an extra credential to enhance your employability.
The course is delivered in 9 parts with submodules delivered in bite-sized chunks, and used a variety of media.
Here’s a brief history of this course: Many years ago, in the 1990’s, we recognized a need for a distance education Food Safety course for those who couldn’t make it to classes. We approached the BC regulatory authorities, but e-learning was fairly new then, and they would not permit us to develop a course. We thought it was a good idea, however, so we started anyway. If we’d know it would take well over a decade to get permission, we probably would have given up!
This course was developed first around the stringent BC food regulations and as an equivalent to the BC FoodSafe™ Level 1 course, before being adapted for other jurisdictions across Canada. The instructional designer for the course (now retired from the well known BC Institute of Technology) holds a PhD in Instructional Technology, a Masters Degree in Education, and has 35+ years of classroom training experience. He was noted by many for his pursuit of educational excellence throughout his career, and in this course applied his skills in organizing and presenting the content to optimize student learning and retention. We think you will benefit from his work!
Program Features:
- Interactive multimedia with audio to enhance learning
- Game-type simulations for cooking temperatures CLICK TO TRY IT! and related memory concepts
- Self-paced interactive tutorials
- ‘Resume’ feature lets employees pick up where they left off
- Contains glossary feature
- Notes feature allows students to take/print notes
- Case studies and real-world news items add relevance
- Lots of practice questions and video and printable summaries to study from including review movies CLICK TO TRY IT!
- The tried and true repetition of the important points you’ll need to remember
- Then we added a ‘Food Safety Inspection’ where you are cast in the role of a government inspector – so you learn what they are looking for when they walk into your food establishment and start asking you questions!
Success Requirements
Student Requirements:
- This course is delivered in English. Students require grade 8 level or higher English skills.
- Basic computer skills, including the ability to use a mouse and a modern web browser.
- Independent study skills.
- An identifying government document such as a driver’s license or student ID card with your name is required for identity verification before the final exam.
Hardware Requirements:
- A mobile device, tablet, or desktop computer with a high speed internet connection.
- Audio capability highly recommended.
- A functional webcam and audio is required if the final exam will be electronically proctored.
Software Requirements:
- A modern HTML5 capable web browser (Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari (V 11 or later), Edge, Brave etc.). Note: Internet Explorer is no longer supported.
- IMPORTANT! If using Microsoft Edge browser, ensure it is the more recent Edge ‘Chromium’ version with a version number 81 or higher. You should see an icon like the one above if its Chromium. Older versions installed as part of the operating system are not supported. Edge Chromium must be manually downloaded and installed. If you are not sure, use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
Course Requirements:
- You must spend a minimum of 6 hours in the content portion of this course before the final exam will become accessible. Most students will spend 8-9 hours, some will choose to spend longer.
- You must proceed in sequence through all parts and modules in this course, viewing each page, in order for the part and module checkmarks to turn on. You must also score 100% on each of the Part quizzes before you can proceed to the next part.
- The course must be completed and the final exam written within 30 days of starting (no exceptions to this rule are permitted). In the event the student goes over 30 days the course can be reset but the student must start again at the beginning. Schools may optionally charge a reset fee.
- You have 1 hour to complete the ‘closed book’ final exam (50 multiple choice questions from a random answer bank of 88). The passmark is 70%. If you do not pass on the first attempt you must wait 24 hours before attempting it again. If the exam is human proctored, a proctor fee may be charged for additional attempts. If the exam is electronically proctored, a fee of $25 may be charged if the exam attempts exceed three. Note: The electronic proctoring system used for the final quiz will request that you are sitting in front of a webcam and that you present government issue ID. Any personal information used for identity verification is permanently destroyed when you pass the exam. We do retain your name and contact information to that your certificate is registered in a secure database, but we do not retain any personal identification documents used in the proctoring process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Click the links below for answers to frequently asked questions.
How much does it cost?
$79 plus appropriate tax. This includes the Food Safety for Food Handlers course and 5 y
ear certificate, and free access to the WHMIS for Food Service Workers course. There are no hidden fees. We will refund your purchase price in the unlikely event of insurmountable technical difficulties which prevent the course from running.
Note: If your final exam is proctored by a human proctor, that person may charge a fee. For most persons the course will be proctored online electronically at no cost to you. The one exception to this is in the event that you must repeat the final exam more than 3 times. In this case we reserve the right at our discretion to charge $25 per additional attempt. Most people pass on the first attempt.
How long does it take?
You must spend at least 6 hours in the content portion of the food safety course, and proceed sequentially through all parts and modules, scoring 100% on each part quiz, before the final quiz will be accessible. Most students will spend 8-9 hours in the content, and many optionally spend longer to better absorb the important information in this course. While it is possible to do the food safety course in one day, for optimum learning we recommend you set aside adequate time over a week or two to do the course at a pace that optimizes your learning. You can stop the course anywhere and resume it later.
Remember: The food safety course must be completed within 30 days of starting it. This is the single biggest issue students run into! Many students will get busy and go past 30 days, or do the quiz on the last day and not pass, then they’ll have to start over. We feel bad whenever we have to reset the course for a student We suggest you plan on spending a maximum of 21 days before attempting the final quiz – don’t leave it until the last minute!
What do I need to do this course?
Here’s what you need to do this course:
- Basic computer skills
- At least grade 8 English language skills
- Self study skills and a quiet, uninterrupted place to do the final exam
- A mobile device, tablet or computer with a fast internet connection
- A modern web browser
- Audio and webcam are required for identify verification for the final (electronically proctored) exam
- A printer to print your certificates
How do I get my certificate?
When will I get my Certificate?
Your official Food Safety for Food Handlers certificate will be emailed to you on successful completion of the final quiz. This usually happens in just a few minutes, but in unusual circumstances it can take up to 24 hours if a detailed human review of the proctoring session is required.
The WHMIS for Food Service Workers certificate is different – it is not emailed, you can print this certificate yourself in the ‘Training Centre’ from where you launched the course under the ‘MyHistory/Certificates’ tab.
How can I register for this course?
How can I register for this course?
You can register for this course by clicking the link below, then filling in the required information and paying by credit card. Once we’ve received your order we’ll add you to the database and send you login instructions. Please be patient while we do that… while it normally only takes a few minutes please allow up to 24 hours to receive your login information. You can call us at 1-800-893-9333 Pacific time if you need to get going quicker or want to check on your status.
How do I run this course the first time?
Here’s how you run the course the first time:
After you register for the course we’ll send you an email with a link, a LoginID, and a Password:
Hello New Student:
You were assigned in the online course: Food Safety for Food Handlers.
Please login and complete this course at: CLICK YOUR COURSE LINK HERE TO OPEN A WINDOW
Here is your login information:
CompanyID: *****
Your loginID: *********
Your password: *********
A login page and form like the one below will appear. Enter the information you’ve received in the email into the login form then click ‘Log In’.
The ‘Training Centre’ will appear with your courses listed. Click on the ‘Launch’ arrow to the left of the course name to launch the course in a new window:
The course will attempt to open in a ‘popup’ window – at this point your browser will properly give you a ‘warning’ that might look like the one below. You need to say ‘yes’ or ‘allow this popup to occur’ from the training website. This is required for the course to open and run. Note that this message may look different depending on what browser you are using. If you are not sure how to do this, go to www.youtube.com and type in ‘allow popup windows’ for the type of browser you are using.
Once you have allowed the popup window to open, the course will start. On the main menu, click on the Part 1 on the left then click on the Modules on the right in sequence. Go through each of the Parts and Modules in sequence. Your time will accumulate as you go through the course. You must have at least 6 hours in time, with all the Main Menu checkmarks turned on, and score 100% on all Part quizzes before you can access the final quiz.
When you finish all Parts and Modules and are ready to do the final exam, find a quiet place in front of your webcam where you will not be interrupted. You’ll need government issue ID for identity verification. Good luck!
Click the button below to register, pay by credit card, and get started. You will receive an email with login instructions. While this usually happens within a few minutes, please allow up to 24 hours.
BONUS! We’ve included this quick WHMIS course to give you a better qualification!
WHMIS stands for the ‘Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System’. WHMIS is one of the most in-demand industry training courses in Canada. This specialized WHMIS awareness course has been developed as a quick introduction to WHMIS for Food Service Workers and is included free when you register for the Food Safety for Food Handlers course. You can complete this course in about 30 minutes and print your own completion certificate. This provides you with an additional desirable qualification that will enhance your employability.
WHMIS Certificate note: Unlike Food Safety, there is no set ‘certification standard’ or retraining period for WHMIS Training in Canada. Your employer is obligated to provide the site-specific element of WHMIS training in your workplace. This WHMIS Certificate will document your completion of this course, but does not provide certification to an officially recognized standard. WHMIS is, however, well recognized by food service employers, and evidence of training is highly desirable.
NEW: Food Allergies for Food Handlers
This is a new course that was requested by persons with food allergies who sometimes must dine out. Many of these individuals are almost desperate to help raise awareness of the under-reported issues surrounding food allergies in food outlets, which can represent a serious threat to their lives: the food you serve them could kill them. They want food service workers to understand and appreciate their concerns about the serious issues affecting them.
Food Allergies for Food Handlers is a new awareness course that goes deeper into the timely topic of food allergies, and how this important medical issue affects clients and food establishments. This 1 hour course provides you with a rare additional level of training desirable to employers.
Food Allergies for Food Handlers Certificate note: Unlike the Food Safety for Food Handlers course, there is no set ‘certification standard’ or retraining period for food allergy training in Canada. The Food Allergies for Food Handlers Certificate will document your completion of this course, but does not provide certification to any officially recognized standard.