Starting a New Food Selling Business

Ontario’s dynamic food sellers give Ontario’s eaters the opportunity to enjoy their food purchases in a variety of locations. Two major parts of the industry outlined below (food retail and foodservice) are simply a convenient grouping for the purposes of discussion. While food stores tend to sell pre-packaged food and foodservice outlets tend to be locations where food is served as a meal, these separations are “blurring” as restaurants sell consumers their favourite sauces and dressings from beside the cash register, while stores sell prepared meals from a “hot & fresh” counter. Yet, they make it easier to sort out which regulations apply.

Food Retailing

Ontario is home to over 12,000 food retailers – including convenience stores, farm markets, roadside stands, grocery stores, warehouse clubs and drugstores selling food items and internet/websites.

Foodservice

Ontario is home to over 30,000 foodservice outlets – including bakeries, caterers, cafés, foodservice, vending trucks, chip trucks, home delivery services, hospitals, schools, prisons, and establishments run by contract caterers (including employee cafeterias), among others.

Both types of outlets are governed by food safety rules contained in Ontario’s Food Premises Regulation 562 under the Health Protection and Promotion Act.

Food Manufacturers

(also known as Food Processors) tend to make pre-packaged products i.e. jams and jellies to sell to food stores and restaurants for resale to the public. Click for more information on food processing.

Related Links

• How to start a Restaurant or Food Catering Business
• How to start a Convenience Store in Ontario