Selling homemade food in Alberta
Learn how to sell homemade food in Alberta: kitchen requirements, permits, food safety training, official forms and permitted sales channels.
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Home food rules in Alberta
Low-risk home-prepared foods, sold direct to customers. Qualifying low-risk home-prepared foods can be sold straight to consumers — from home, online, by mail order, and at markets or special events.
Sales channels for qualifying home foods
Direct-to-consumer only. Still check your city’s business and land-use rules.
- Markets and events
Allowed under the qualifying home-food route
- Home pickup
Allowed under the qualifying home-food route
- Delivery
Allowed under the qualifying home-food route
- Online orders
Allowed under the qualifying home-food route
- Retail and wholesale
Confirm with the authority
Permits and kitchen approval
Regular route: floor plan, approved training, a Food Handling Permit from AHS, an approval inspection and a fee.
Your steps in this location
- Choose foods that don’t need refrigeration Required
Not ordinary meat meals, cream desserts or unverified canned foods.
- Package and label to the fact sheet Required
Follow the operator fact sheet’s packaging, producer-information and label rules.
- Take food safety training Recommended
Encouraged for this route.
- Check local business and land-use rules Confirm locally
They apply even on the provincial low-risk route.
Forms and official resources
Local requirements
- Calgary
Needs a Food Service–Premises business licence for preparing or storing food at home. More than three customer pickups a week is a Class 2 home occupation example.
Confirm before selling
Re-check the operator fact sheet for exact label wording and equipment details before relying on them.
More business guides for Alberta
Build your business on Dished
Four different things people mix up
A certificate does not let you open. Each of these is its own step, and you may need more than one.
- Food safety certificate
Proves you passed training. It does not approve your kitchen or business.
- Food premises permit
Authorizes a specific operation, where one is required.
- Notification or registration
Telling the health authority you are operating. A separate process.
- Business licence
Your city’s home-occupation or business approval. Also separate.
Federal rules to check in Canada
The details depend on your product and selling method. Check the applicable requirements and exemptions.
- Labels
Check common name, ingredients and allergens, net quantity, business identity, dates, storage and language. A Nutrition Facts exemption is not a blanket labelling exemption.
- Selling across borders
Shipping to another province or country? Check CFIA's tools first. Not every online home seller needs a federal licence.
- GST/HST
The general small-supplier test counts worldwide taxable supplies, including zero-rated sales and applicable associates, over one quarter or four consecutive quarters. It is not $30,000 of profit.
Your startup checklist
Completing this list does not establish government approval.
Write down your menu: ingredients, fillings, packaging, storage and shelf life.
Find your home-food exemption or approved-kitchen route.
List every way you will sell: markets, online, pickup, delivery, shops and shipping.
Check city zoning, home occupation and business licensing.
Contact your inspector and complete required notifications, applications and inspections.
Book accepted training where it is required.
Register your business name where needed and check your tax obligations.
Check insurance and landlord or condo permission.
Set up cleaning, storage, water, supplier, allergen and transport procedures.
Keep records of approvals, training, recipes and suppliers.