Food Handler Certification Program

The Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit offers food handler certification courses and exams in Haldimand and Norfolk counties to help promote safe food handling within the food service industry.

Food poisoning can seriously damage your establishment’s reputation and directly affect your business. Learning and adapting the skills taught in this course will help protect your business and the health of your customers.

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Course Description

This full-day course is designed to help familiarize staff with safe food handling practices and skills that ensure food is stored, prepared, and served in a manner that complies with the Food Premises Regulation under the Health Protection and Promotion Act.

At the end of the course, participants will write a food safety certification exam. Those individuals who successfully pass the exam will receive a Food Handler Certificate from the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit that is valid for five years. This certificate is recognized by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and other Health Units in Ontario. Those who wish to study independently may challenge the Health Unit food safety certification exam without taking the full-day course. See below for a list of ‘exam only’ dates and locations.

Two online food handler courses are also available at www.ingoodhands.ca or www.foodsafetytraining.ca. When completing either course you will complete the exam online using a webcam.

Click here to view a Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) list of food handler training programs deemed equivalent to the training and certification offered by local public health units as an alternative option.

Registration and Payment

Submission of the completed form and payment made in person will reserve your spot in the chosen course/exam. Please do not mail or email registration forms and/or payment due to the limited spots available. Registration fees are non-refundable one week before the course/exam. Please make cheques payable to “Norfolk County”. We accept cash, credit and debit payments in the office.

The Food Handler Certification Program is taught in English only. Exams can be provided in French, Chinese, Arabic, Farsi, Punjabi, Spanish and Greek upon request. Please indicate your language choice in the form below. Upon completing the exam, each participant will receive a Ministry of Health and Long Term Care approved certificate, which is valid for five (5) years. The passing mark is 70%. If unsuccessful in achieving the minimum mark of 70%, the participant will be allowed one re-write free of charge. Please bring a piece of government-issued ID to the course/exam.

For further assistance, please contact the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit at 519-426-6170 ext. 3477 or [email protected].

Download the 2024 Food Handler Course Registration Form

Schedule 2024 

Simcoe	HNHU Office- 185 Robinson St. Suite 200
Thursday, February 1, 2024	Full Course
Tuesday, March 19, 2024	Full Course
Tuesday, May 14, 2024	Full Course
Tuesday, July 16, 2024	Full Course
Tuesday, September 17, 2024	Full Course
Tuesday, November 19, 2024	Full Course
Friday, February 23, 2024	Exam Only
Friday, April 26, 2024	Exam Only
Friday, June 21, 2024	Exam Only
Friday, August 23, 2024	Exam Only
Friday, October 25, 2024	Exam Only
Friday, December 20, 2024	Exam Only

Dunnville	Grandview Lodge – 657 Lock Street West, Dunnville – Auditorium
Tuesday, October 8, 2024	Full Course
Tuesday, December 3, 2024	Full Course
Tuesday, January 23, 2024	Exam Only
Tuesday, March 12, 2024	Exam Only
Tuesday, May 21, 2024	Exam Only
Thursday, September 26, 2024	Exam Only
Tuesday, November 26, 2024	Exam Only