Dietitian - A Protected Title

The letters "RD" (Registered Dietitian) after a person's name means that the person is registered with the College of Dietitians of Ontario. In Ontario, Registered Dietitians are highly educated in the sciences related to foods and human nutrition and they are trained to apply their evidence-based knowledge in a variety of settings.

Registered Dietitians are required to continue their professional development to remain current and expand the competencies needed for delivering safe, ethical, and high quality dietetics services. They have met all the requirements established by the College to determine competence to practice.

Only individuals registered with the College of Dietitians of Ontario can use the titles dietitian, Registered Dietitian, a variation or abbreviation or an equivalent in another language. Law protects these titles and people using them inappropriately can be fined up to $50,000. You can verify that your nutrition provider is a qualified Registered Dietitian, consult the College's Register of Dietitians.

Other people may provide nutrition advice but under Ontario law only Registered Dietitians are held accountable to the College of Dietitians of Ontario and the public for their conduct, the quality of their care and the nutrition services that they provide. The public can trust that dietitians are highly qualified.