Mobile food service equipment (MFSE), commonly known as food trucks, is mobile equipment with fuel-fired cooking facilities for preparing and selling food. Examples of food trucks include chip wagons, coffee trucks, and hotdog and hamburger carts.
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) regulates MFSE. All MFSE in Ontario must:
Have a TSSA-issued Mobile Food Service Equipment Field Approval.
Display any required danger labels per Annex S (Page 1, Attachment #1) of the Gaseous Fuels Code Adoption Document Amendment (FS-255-21, pdf)
Undergo an annual inspection by a TSSA-certified technician
If you need an annual inspection, Find a Registered Contractor near you.
For more information on MFSEs:
Read the Gaseous Fuels Code Adoption Document Amendment (FS-255-21, pdf)
Fuel Safety Requirements for Mobile Food Service Equipment Vendors (pdf)
Visit Food Truck Safety
Field Approval
Field Approval is a safety process administered by TSSA’s Fuels Safety Program to regulate unique products that are limited in production and cannot be certified. Field Approval addresses the fuel-burning aspect of MFSE that includes storing gas, transmitting gas to the appliance and burning at the appliance.
An accredited agency (as listed on the Electrical Safety Authority's website, must approve any electrical equipment with a power supply rated above 30 volts of alternating current (VAC).
All MFSE, including appliances, must be certified by an agency accredited by the Standards Council of Canada. Only appliances that are certified by an accredited certification body can be used inside an MFSE. The appliance must bear the certification mark of that accredited certification body. See the list of common certification marks.
Mobile food service equipment and associated appliances that are not certified by an accredited agency must apply for Field Approval.
All MFSE must undergo an annual inspection by a licensed gas technician, and all identified deficiencies must be corrected. Please refer to Annex S (Page 2, Attachment #2) of the Gaseous Fuels Code Adoption Document Amendment (FS-255-21, pdf). The technician must provide the owner or operator with a completed copy of the inspection checklist.
Before February 13, 2006
Food trucks that have been in operation since before February 13, 2006, are exempt from Field Approval. The owner must provide documentation proving that the equipment was in use before this date by the same owner to be eligible for Field Approval exemption. Food trucks and appliances must undergo an annual inspection.
After February 13, 2006
All mobile food service equipment built after February 13, 2006, are required to:
Obtain Field Approval from TSSA, as shown below:
or
Certified and labelled by a certification organization accredited by the Standards Council of Canada
Additional Requirements for Field Approval
Owners and operators of MFSEs should also check with the local municipality to determine if there are additional requirements. Applicants should contact the local fire inspection authority to determine if their MFSE requires a fire-extinguishing system. When an exhaust system protected by an automatic fire-extinguishing system is installed over an appliance not provided with a flame safeguard, the operation of the fire-extinguishing system shall be interlocked with the appliance's gas supply to shut off the gas automatically, including the pilot, and any other appliance that can be affected by the extinguishing system.
Apply for Field Approval
Submit the MFSE Field Approval Application (pdf) along with the required Supporting Documents for MFSE Field Approval Application (pdf).
TSSA will conduct an engineering review of the MFSE’s design as it relates to the applicable sections of the TSSA Mobile Food Service Equipment Code - October 2020 (pdf).
If the engineering review is satisfactory, TSSA will send the MFSE application and approval letter to the applicant who will contact TSSA’s inspection scheduling agents to book an inspection. See Schedule an Inspection for details on booking an inspection. A G1 or G2 gas technician must be on site to perform work for our inspector to witness.
After the inspection has been scheduled, TSSA will notify and provide the applicant with the inspector's contact information.
If the MFSE meets all applicable regulations, the inspector will affix a Field Approval label to the equipment (see a sample of the rating plate below).
Sample Rating Plate
TSSA Work Order (WO) Number 12345678 Mobile Food Service Trailer Identification Number V.I.N. 123456789ABCDEFGH Appliances
For Use with Propane Gas Manifold Pressure 1 0 in. W.C. Electrical Rating: 120/240 Volts, 60 Hz, 30 Amps Design Standard: TSSA-MFSE-2020 |