Canada · Home kitchen
Start a home food business in Canada
Canada does not have one national home-kitchen licence. Start with your province or territory, municipality, activity and where the food will be sold.
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Find local permits and licences
Use BizPaL to search government permits and licences by location and activity.
Choose the province or territory and municipality where the business will operate before starting.
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BizPaL brings together participating federal, provincial or territorial, and municipal requirements. Coverage and requirements vary by location.
Do not rely on a single national checklist for a home food business.
When federal CFIA licensing may apply
Safe Food for Canadians licensing depends on the activities conducted, including relevant importing, exporting and preparing food for interprovincial trade.
Making and selling food only within one province does not automatically require a federal CFIA licence solely because it is food.
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Other federal requirements may still apply, and provincial or territorial rules can require a CFIA licence for some commodities. Use the CFIA licensing tool for the actual activities and products.
Provincial, territorial and municipal food-safety, public-health and business requirements remain relevant even when a federal licence is not required.
Business structure
Incorporation is not universally mandatory. Common structures include sole proprietorship, partnership and corporation.
The structure affects tax reporting and other responsibilities, so use current Canada Revenue Agency guidance.
Local food-safety requirements
Inspection, kitchen, training and permitted-food rules vary by province, territory and municipality.
Use the official permit finder and the relevant local public-health or food regulator instead of assuming one Canadian inspection checklist.
Tax & records
Understand the basic tax and record-keeping steps for your country.
Official guidance
Check the latest requirements for your location and activity before trading.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules can vary by location and business activity. Always check the latest official guidance before you start trading.