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Selling home baking in Ontario
Low-risk home baking is broadly permitted, with local public-health requirements.
The lay of the land
- ✓Since January 1, 2020, changes to Ontario's Food Premises Regulation make it genuinely easy to sell low-risk, home-prepared foods — no commercial kitchen required for the list below.
- ✓One required step before you start: contact your local public health unit to let them know you're a new food operator. This is a notification rather than a permit application, and they will go through food safety for your specific menu.
- ✓Home-based food businesses are still covered by the Health Protection and Promotion Act and can be inspected periodically — so a clean, organized prep space isn't optional.
- ✓If you make only low-risk foods, you're exempt from three of the heavier rules: dedicated handwashing stations, commercial dishwashing requirements, and food-handler certification.
- ✓The province also recommends checking your municipality's zoning by-laws and business licensing before you call the health unit.
Usually fine from a home kitchen
- ✓Breads and buns (no meat or cream fillings)
- ✓Cookies, brownies, muffins and squares
- ✓Cakes — as long as the icing doesn't need refrigeration
- ✓Butter tarts, pies and baked goods without custard
- ✓Chocolate, hard candies, brittles, fudge and toffee
- ✓Granola, trail mix, nuts and seeds
- ✓Coffee beans and tea leaves
Usually needs an inspected kitchen
- ✕Cheesecake and fresh-cream cakes
- ✕Custard, cream or meat fillings of any kind
- ✕Anything that must stay refrigerated to be safe
- ✕Meat, fish and dairy-based products
- ✕Low-acid canned or jarred goods
- ✕Prepared meals
These are general categories. Confirm your specific products with the authority listed below.
The rules, by name
Food Premises Regulation (O. Reg. 493/17)
The regulation that governs food businesses — its January 2020 amendments created the low-risk home-kitchen path.
Health Protection and Promotion Act (HPPA)
The provincial law the regulation lives under; it's what gives public health units their authority.
“A Guide to Starting a Home-based Food Business” (Ministry of Health)
The province's own four-step walkthrough. Search that exact title and it's the first result.
What goes on your label
- ✓The product's common name — “Sourdough loaf,” not just your brand name.
- ✓A full ingredient list, in descending order by weight.
- ✓Allergens called out clearly: nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, wheat, sesame, soy, mustard and sulphites are the big ones in baking.
- ✓Your business name and a way to reach you.
- ✓A made-on or best-before date. Not always required, but useful for customers and inspectors alike.
- ✓Straight talk: the strictest federal labelling rules are written for prepackaged retail food, and direct sales have exemptions — but a complete label is what health units expect to see, and what a customer with an allergy needs. Label like a pro from day one.
Who to contact
Your local public health unit — Ontario has 30+, each covering a region, and letting them know you're starting is a required step anyway. One email describing exactly what you bake gets you a real answer.
Copy-paste starter for your email:
“Hi, I'm starting a small home baking business in [community]. I plan to make and sell [items] from my home kitchen through pre-orders and pickup. Can you confirm whether I need an inspection, permit or food-handler certificate, and what information I need on my labels? Thank you.”
Quick answers
Do I need a food handler certificate?
Not if you only make low-risk foods — that's one of the explicit exemptions. Plenty of bakers take the inexpensive online course anyway; it teaches real things and looks great when the inspector calls.
Do I need to tell anyone before I start selling?
Yes — contacting your local public health unit is a required step, not a courtesy. It is a conversation rather than an application process, and health units do this with new home bakers regularly.
Can an inspector actually visit my house?
Yes — home-based food businesses are subject to periodic inspection under the same act as restaurants. In practice low-risk kitchens are rarely the priority, but 'inspection-ready' is the standard to keep.
Does selling at a farmers' market change anything?
The provincial framework is the same, but the market itself may have vendor requirements of its own (insurance is common). One email each to the market organizer and your health unit covers both.
Can I take orders online and do porch pickup?
The rules govern where food is prepared, not how you take orders — pre-orders with pickup are exactly how most Ontario home bakeries run. Describe your setup to the health unit when you check in so their advice fits it.
Official sources
Last reviewed August 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at hello@ourcakewalk.com and we'll fix it.
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