The stuff you need to know About food safety and regulations

I don’t have a food business, do I? A food business is any food preparation, food storage or food distribution activity which handles food for sale (including in-kind rewards). It includes non-profit and community organisations. If the handling of food for sale occurs at an address which is also a domestic premises, there are special food safety issues to consider. Examples include: preparing food for sale at markets or school canteens in a domestic kitchen; bed and breakfast accommodation; home based child care for a fee involving provision of food and home based catering businesses, amongst others.

What does food for sale mean? sell includes: (a)  barter, offer or attempt to sell, or (b)  receive for sale, or (c)  have in possession for sale, or (d)  display for sale, or (e)  cause or permit to be sold or offered for sale, or (f)  send, forward or deliver for sale, or (g)  dispose of by any method for valuable consideration, or (h)  dispose of to an agent for sale on consignment, or

What does food for sale mean? sell includes: (i)  provide under a contract of service, or (j)  supply food as a meal or part of a meal to an employee, in accordance with a term of an award governing the employment of the employee or a term of the employee’s contract of service, for consumption by the employee at the employee’s place of work, or (k)  dispose of by way of raffle, lottery or other game of chance, or (l)  offer as a prize or reward, or (m)  give away for the purpose of advertisement or in furtherance of trade or business, or

What does food for sale mean? sell includes: (n)  supply food under a contract (whether or not the contract is made with the consumer of the food), together with accommodation, service or entertainment, in consideration of an inclusive charge for the food supplied and the accommodation, service or entertainment, or (o)  supply food (whether or not for consideration) in the course of providing services to patients in public hospitals (within the meaning of the Health Services Act 1997) or inmates in correctional centres (within the meaning of the Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act 1999), or (p)  sell for the purpose of resale

What is involved in starting up a home based food business What is involved in starting up a home based food business? (an overview) All home based food businesses need to obtain a Complying Development Certificate approval. There are special requirements around the construction standards for a home based food business Once approved all food businesses need to be notified to the NSW Food Authority All food businesses need to be registered with Council All food handlers will be required to have the appropriate level if food safety/food hygiene skills and knowledge There will be extra health and hygiene requirements in place when storing/preparing food for sale at home All pre-packaged foods need to be properly labelled Food manufacturers will need to have a food recall procedure

How do I get Complying Development Certificate approval from Council? You will need to lodge a Complying Development Certificate (CDC) with Council There will be a range of information/documents that you will need to include: CDC form Floor plans (can be hand drawn to a suitable scale) Details of the type of foods that you will be storing/preparing on site Number of people involved in the business Hours of operation A comment about potential impacts to the neighbourhood, vehicle movements, smoke, fumes noise etc

How do I notify the NSW Food Authority of my food business? Notification can be done 1 of 2 ways Firstly by going direct to the NSW Food Authority’s web site www.foodnotify.nsw.gov.au Or by contacting Council if you don’t have access to the internet and Council staff will assist

How do I register my food business with Council? This is a very simple process just complete the food premises details form and return to Council with the approved fee. Copies can be downloaded from http://www.begavalley.nsw.gov.au/cp_themes/default/page.asp?p=DOC-QUN-34-28-80 Council will then send you your certificate of registration Council then commence to undertake routine inspections of your home based food business

What are the special construction standards for a home based food business kitchen? Facilities used for the storage, handling and or preparation of food must be constructed and fitted out in accordance with the requirements of Food Safety Standards 3.2.3, and the National Food premises Code. Copies of this code can be downloaded from http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/code/Pages/default.aspx Essentially the kitchen need to able to be effectively cleaned and sanitised. There will be the need for dedicated hand wash facilities. The commercial and domestic uses will need to be kept separate

What food safety/hygiene skills and knowledge do I need? Depending on what food is being prepared there may be the to appoint a Food safety Supervisor to your business more info can be found at http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/industry/food-standards-and-requirements/proposals-policy/food-safety-supervisor-program/ Free online food safety training can be accessed through Council’s website at http://www.begavalley.nsw.gov.au/cp_themes/default/page.asp?p=DOC-XWK-57-41-13

What extra health and hygiene requirements are there? Persons not directly connected with food preparation are restricted in their access to the area where food is handled or stored. No person shall smoke in the food preparation or storage area. Normal domestic duties are not permitted in the food preparation or storage area if you do not have approval to use your domestic kitchen. Household pets of all kinds are not to have access to, or be in the food preparation or storage area at any time. Decorations, pot plants and curtains, which render various surfaces incapable of being adequately cleaned, must be avoided. Garden fertilisers, household insecticides, chemicals and medications must not be kept in the food preparation or storage area.

What is the go with Meat Production and processing? Meat production and processing is generally regulated by the NSW Food Authority Businesses may need to hold a licence with the Authority If you are simply handling pre-packaged meat and meat products you do not need a licence You contact the NSW Food Authority on 1300 552 406 to enquire

What is the go with labelling? Under State and National laws all packaged food prepared and offered for sale MUST be labelled correctly. Name and/or description of the food; Identification of the ‘lot’ number (Food Recall information); Name and Australian street address of the supplier of food (Food Recall Information); List of ingredients; Date mark; Nutrition information panel (NIP); Country of origin of the food; and Warning and advisory statements http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/industry/npc/Pages/Nutrition-Panel-Calculator-introduction.aspx

What is a food recall? Any food that poses a safety hazard to consumers is removed from sale, distribution and consumption. This is called a 'food recall'. Under Standard 3.2.2 12 (Food Safety Standards), a manufacturer, wholesaler or importer must: have in place a system to ensure the recall of unsafe food, set out this system in a written document and make this document available to an authorised officer upon request; and comply with this system when recalling unsafe food. More information about food recalls can be found at http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/industry/food-standards-and-requirements/recalls/

Where to next? Be aware Council is ready to help any home based food business