Food Premises Information and Forms

To register your food business with the Glenelg Shire you must submit the following information to Council:

Completed an Application (available below)
Payment of Registration fee. (Please contact Council for the relevant fee for your Food Premises).
Provide a copy of the current Food Safety Program for your business (Class 1 and Class 2 Premises only). This program will also require you to nominate a qualified Food Safety Supervisor.
Provide a copy of the nominated Food Safety Supervisor’s certificate (Class 1 and Class 2 Premises only).
Submit a floor plan detailing the food preparation areas, food storage areas, cooking equipment (stove & mechanical exhaust system), toilet facilities, cleaning facilities, wash hand facilities, specify foods to be processed and stored on the premises, and where food transportation is to occur include the details of the transportation process. For example, are the goods to be transported frozen, refrigerated or hot?

Structural Requirements
All food premises are required to comply with the Food Standards Code. Council has developed the New Food Premises Information Pack to assist you with the necessary information to ensure that your food premises satisfies the legal requirements associated with running a food business.

For a copy of the Food Standards Code, please visit Food Standards Australia New Zealand.

Transfer of Registration
When purchasing an existing food business, the Registration must be transferred into the new proprietors name by completing a Application to Transfer a Food Premises Form (available below) and paying a transfer fee.
It is mandatory that you arrange for an inspection of the premises by an Environmental Health Officer prior to the transfer to find out the current status of the premises, and any outstanding works that may be required.

Food Premises Classifications
All businesses, organisations, individuals and community groups selling food or drink in Victoria must be classified according to the highest level of risk their food handling activities pose. You must follow the Food Act 1984 safety regulations and requirements for your classification, regardless of the type of business or group you are. The classification system is risk based, so that regulation is matched to the food safety risk that different food business activities pose to public health.

Click here to view food classifications:

The preparation of food for sale to the public in domestic kitchens may be permitted; however, preparing food for sale differs from cooking for the family.

There are a number of things that you need to do before you can begin operating as a food premises. For example, you need to be registered with Council to operate a food business from home. Please go to Council's Home Kitchen Guidelines for information and requirements on food registration with the Council.

Home Kitchens must also ensure that they abide by the correct labelling laws as there have been comprehensive changes to the Australian and New Zealand Food Standards Code to ensure customers can make informed choices when purchasing food. The Labelling Guidelines highlight a number of relevant labelling requirements for food for retail sale or for catering purposes.

If you plan to sell your produce from temporary or mobile food premises, such as market stalls, fetes etc., you may also need to register with Streatrader.

If you are a community group, not-for profit body or a person wanting to sell food at community markets or fund raising events such as fates or cake stall, below are the 3 simple steps to follow to ensure you have the information needed to prepare and cook food correctly, store and handle food in the correct manner and the correct registrations/permits to apply for.

1. Watch the video to understand what you need to do
2. Identify the classification for your event
3. Understand, and act on, the obligations that relate to your class of event

Watch the "Do Food Safely" video on Youtube

Community Group Food Fundraisers Information

Food Safety Guide for Community Groups or Mobile Food Premises - Class 2

Food Safety Guide for Community Groups - Class 3

This information applies to community groups that:
• sell food solely for the purposes of raising funds for charity
• are a not-for-profit body
• are selling cooked cakes without cream fillings only.

Class 4 cake stalls are not required to register with Council, but they must notify and accepted by Council through Streatrader.

You are not required to have a Food Safety Program or a Food Safety Supervisor, Statements of Trade submitted through Streatrader.

Council's Environmental Health Officer may inspect your stall at any time for a spot check to make sure that food is safe, or if any complaints are received.

Cake Stall Regulations – Class 4

Cooked Cakes without Cream Fillings

Cake stalls selling only cooked cakes that are packed or covered and do not contain fillings made from fresh cream or uncooked eggs are class 4 temporary food premises.

Class 4 premises may use mock cream fillings, as mock cream does not require refrigeration. They may also sell other baked items, such as biscuits or slices.

Cakes with Cream Fillings

If you plan to sell cakes that contain fillings made from fresh cream or mascarpone, or uncooked eggs (such as tiramisu or mousse), you must contact Council for approval. Different safety rules will apply.

Cakes like the ones mentioned above need refrigeration throughout the food handling process – including during preparation, storage and transport – to keep them safe. If they are not handled safely, it may cause food poisoning which may result in serious illness or even death

Cake Handling Tips

Follow these tips if you participate in a cake stall food fundraiser:
•Ask the event organisers or site owners whether water at the site is safe to drink, where and how your cakes, biscuits or slices will be stored.
•Make sure there is somewhere for food handlers to wash their hands, otherwise have suitable hand sanitisers available.
•Make sure all volunteers know how to handle food safely (access the Do Food Safely program).
•Ensure all cakes are wrapped, packaged or placed in clean containers with close-fitting lids.
•Label cakes with the list of ingredients used to make them.
•Ensure the cakes are transported in clean containers.
•Store cakes and packaging supplies in safe and clean conditions.
•Do not use damaged packaging, and throw away any cakes in damaged packaging.
•Keep hands clean.
•Use only clean, dry cutting boards, equipment and utensils.
•Use tongs or other utensils to serve cakes.

Reports of food contamination or poisoning should be report to Council’s Environmental Health Officer so an investigation into the incident can commence. Unsafe or unsuitable food is food is described as:
•would be likely to cause physical harm to a person
•is damaged, deteriorated or perished
•contains any damaged, deteriorated or perished substance
•contains a biological or chemical agent, or other matter or substance foreign to the nature of the food (e.g. mould, cleaning chemicals or a piece of glass).

Food Poisoning
If you have eaten food from a food premises within the Glenelg Shire and believe you have or have had food poisoning, you should contact Council’s Environmental Health Unit as soon as possible on 5522 2229 or email health@glenelg.vic.gov.au

The time between eating the food and the appearance of the first symptoms can range from 1 hour to as long as a week or more. This means that the last meal you ate may not necessarily be responsible.

Food does not need to be spoiled to cause food poisoning; it can look, smell, taste fine and still cause food poisoning. An individual can experience one or more of the following symptoms in varying degrees of severity:
•vomiting
•fever and chills
•diarrhoea
•nausea
•abdominal pain
•bloody stools
•headache
•lethargy
•loss of appetite

Reporting a Food Complaint
If you find something wrong with your food, whether you suspect it has made you ill or it may have some form of obvious physical contamination, you can report it to Council's Environmental Health Unit.