Food safety

Waverley Council has approximately 500 food shop businesses operating in the Local Government Area (LGA), which are regularly monitored by Council’s Environment Health Officers. Food businesses are inspected to ensure compliance with the Food Act 2003 and the Food Standards Code.

The Environmental Health Officers also follow up on food contamination complaints or unclean food premises, and work in partnership with the NSW Food Authority to address food-related matters.

Fees & charges

All food business receive a combined Annual Administration and Inspection charge at the start of each financial year.  Additional fees and charges maybe be incurred by the business and are detailed in Council's Pricing Policy and Schedule of Fees and Charges.

Who do I need to notify about my food business?

To register your business, or notify Council of any changes please complete the application form.

Food businesses must be registered with either the NSW Food Authority or the Local Council based on the type of food business you plan on operating, details on who to notify can be found below.   In addition to notification of new food businesses, all food businesses are required to notify their relevant enforcement agency (Council or the Food Authority) of any changes to their business details.

You need to notify Waverley Council if your food business operates in the Waverley LGA and is a:

  • children's service , eg. childcare or daycare where food is provided
  • manufacturer/distributer/caterer/importer who sells direct to the final consumer (excluding water-based food service such as river/harbour/lake cruises, ferries, floating restaurants)
  • retail food outlet, eg:
    • café’s, restaurants, takeaway outlets;
    • food stalls at periodic or one-off events;
    • mobile food outlets, coffee carts, food trucks;
    • retail bakeries;
    • retail seafood outlets;
    • delicatessens;
    • chemists;
    • cinemas;
    • corner and convenience stores;
    • petrol stations;
    • school and sporting facility canteens; or
    • water carters.

You need to notify the Food Authority if your business is:

  • egg primary production producing no more than 20 dozen eggs (240 eggs) in any week;
  • poultry primary production growing no more than 100 birds at any given time;
  • catering and the food is not sold by retail directly to consumers;
  • home based and the food is not sold by retail directly to consumers:
    • i.e they sell on to another party such as a cafe or restaurant to on-sell;
  • food or food ingredient importing and you do not sell by retail directly to consumers;
  • food manufacturing that does not need a Food Authority licence, eg:
    • wholesale bakeries;
    • noodle manufacturers;
    • confectionary manufacturers;
    • beverage manufacturers (including alcohol, soft drinks, juices, water bottlers);
    • manufacturers of dips, condiments, honey, oils etc;
    • acid preserved food manufacturers; or
    • nut and coffee roasters
  • food wholesaling that does not need a Food Authority licence, eg:
    • wholesalers that do not manufacture food products;
    • distributers; or
    • contract repackers;
  • water-based food service Including river/harbour/lake cruises, ferries, floating restaurants; or
  • transporting live poultry

To register your business, or notify the Food Authority of any changes please submit your details at www.foodnotify.nsw.gov.au

Home based food businesses & temporary food businesses

For information on home based food businesses in Waverley, please refer to Home Based Food Businesses.

For information on temporary food businesses in Waverley, please refer to Food at fairs & events.

Food shop fit-outs

The design, construction, and fit-out of all food premises must comply with the Food Standards Code Chapter 3.2.3 as prescribed by the Food Act 2003.

The Waverley Council Policy for Fit-out and Construction of Food Premises provides a clear and concise guide on how a food business can be fitted out to ensure that it complies with the Food Act 2003 and Food Standards Code.

The Food Standards Code is a performance based standard which allows for a wide variety of methods for compliance. If you wish to implement an alternative solution that is not provided for within Waverley Council’s Policy for Fit-out and Construction of Food Premises, you will need to demonstrate how your proposed solution complies with Chapter 3.2.3 of the Food Standards Code.

Chapter 3 of the Food Standards Code can be accessed from the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website.

Healthier oil

Council, in conjunction with the Heart Foundation, recommends food businesses use healthier fats and oils when cooking preparing and cooking food to help meet customer demand for healthier choices.

For more information, download the Healthier Oils flier, visit the Heart Foundation website or the Heart Foundation Tick website.

Resources

Council has developed a number of fact sheets and resources for food businesses on how to maintain food safety in their day-to-day operations.

The NSW Food Authority has also prepared some information for takeaway chicken and noodle shops in particular.

Free online food safety training

Waverley takes food hygiene very seriously and to assist businesses Council is providing a free online training program for you to utilise. This will assist you and your staff in food safety awareness for your food business.

Contact

For more information about food safety regulations for food businesses, please contact Council's Customer Service Centre on 9083 8000 or email info@waverley.nsw.gov.au.