The provincial government is making it easier for entrepreneurs to make and sell food from home.
Ontario announced on Monday that they are looking to support home-based food entrepreneurs by creating a step-by-step guide on how to safely operate a food business from your own kitchen.
The guide provides all the resources one will need when starting a food business as well as an overview of the public health requirements that need to be met in order to operate safely.
“We are doing everything we can to help them seize new opportunities without compromising Ontario's high standards for food safety," said Prabmeet Sarkaria, the associate minister of small business.
The guide outlines how operators can easily sell what is labelled as “low-risk foods”, which are products that do not require time or temperature control and are generally non-hazardous. This includes items such as bread, fudge and toffees, granola and trail mix, and pickles, jams and preserves.
The provincial government is hoping the guide will simplify the process and assist eager food entrepreneurs in generating some income.
"Starting a home-based food business is an excellent opportunity for people across Ontario to share their culinary creativity, build a business for themselves and be part of the province's agri-food sector," said Ernie Hardeman, the minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs.
Throughout the pandemic, there has been a growing guild of food entrepreneurs using online platforms to build their food businesses.
One of the most popular ones in Toronto is Spice Girl Eats, run by chef and owner Becca Periera, who started the business making delicious Indian food at home.
Periera is now operating the business out of the Depanneur, a well-known Toronto food hub that celebrates how food impacts communities.
Bawang (pronounced buh-wung) is another online food business concept created by Wesley Altuna, and is also being operated out of the Dep. After being laid off from his job in advertising at the beginning of the pandemic, he started an online business selling Filipino-style family meals for $40 through Instagram.
He has now amassed over 12,000 followers on Instagram and is serving dozens of homes across the GTA, he wrote in Toronto Life.
Though there are many steps to be taken to get where they are, the provincial government aims to help small entrepreneurs build their business by providing them a simplified guide to get started.
"Our government is committed to encouraging this growing part of the economy and to support all the good things that are grown and produced right here in Ontario," said Hardeman.
