Food safety training and certification

All food handlers should know the basics of safe food handling and hygiene practices.

Overview

There are many diseases that can be spread through food, known as food-borne illnesses. They can be caused by biological (i.e., bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi), physical and chemical hazards. They can contaminate food in many ways. All food handlers should know the basics of safe food handling to greatly reduce the risk of contamination and the spread of food-borne illness.

General food safety seminar

The Department of Health offers a general food safety seminar based on the ‘The ABC’s of Food Safety’ (English, French (PDF 8.9 MB), Korean (PDF 1.9 MB)). This is suitable for food handlers who are not required to have food safety training or certification but who would like to learn more. This seminar is free of charge to any group, upon request.

Training and certification requirements

The Department of Health requires certain staff in licenced food premises to have up-to-date food safety training and certification. 

Class 4 food premises shall ensure that both the manager of the premises and at least one person present at all times in the area where food is prepared holds a certificate confirming successful completion of a food handling program.

Recognized courses

The following courses are equivalent to national guidelines on food safety and are accepted in New Brunswick, per the Public Health Act and Food Premises Regulation.

This list is subject to change. The Department of Health reserves the right to conduct a course review at any time.

Course Provider Website
  • Food Safe Level 1
  • Food Safe Level 2
Province of British Columbia www.foodsafe.ca (website in English only)
FoodWise Retail Council of Canada www.retailcouncil.org
  • ServSafe for Managers
  • ServSafe Canadian Food Safety Online
National Restaurant Association www.servsafeinternational.com
  • Traincan BASICS
  • Traincan ADVANCED
Traincan, Inc. www.traincan.com (website in English only)
Food Handler Certification Course Food Safety Training www.foodsafetytraining.ca (website in English only)
SafeCheck™ Advanced Food Safety courses Canadian Food Safety www.canadianfoodsafety.com
Food Handler Certification Probe IT www.probeit.ca (website in English only)
Managing Food Safety (MFS) FoodSafetyMarket.com, Freeborn & Associates Inc. www.foodsafetymarket.com
Food Handler Certification Course Canadian Institute of Food Safety www.foodsafetytraining.ca (website in English only)
FoodPrep Food Handler Certification Course FoodPrep Inc. www.jobtrain.ca (website in English only)
Food Safety for Food Handlers KnowledgeWare Communications Corp www.kccsoft.com (website in English only)
Food Handler Training and Certification Course A Poetic Health www.apoetichealth.com (website in English only)
Food Handler Certification Train Food Safety www.trainfoodsafety.ca (website in English only)
Food Handler Training and Certificate FoodSafe4U by ExcellentLearning www.foodsafe4u.com
Safe Food Handler Certification Training Program Dunk and Associates Inc./Systems 24-7 www.systems24-7.com (website in English only)

Food safety training program equivalency review

Training programs must be reviewed by Public Health on an individual basis to assess whether they meet all of the requirements under the Food Premises Regulation

Organizations or businesses must submit an application package for each course they are requesting to be reviewed for recognition in New Brunswick. If a training program meets the requirements, it will be added to the recognized course list above.

Get help

If you have questions or need help, you can contact us Monday to Friday between 8:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays.

Health Protection Services
Phone: 506-453-3992 
Email: [email protected]