Some businesses are exempt from notification, these include:

• Not-for-profit community or fundraising events where the food sold is either:

  1. not potentially hazardous i.e. does not need temperature control, or

  2. to be consumed immediately after thorough cooking

• Businesses that hold a Food Authority licence

• Primary production food businesses such as farms other than dairy, egg or poultry meat farms, fishing or shellfish production – these are not exempt and need either a licence or to notify.

If there is a change of ownership details by way of the above mentioned, please let us and the Food Authority.

When commencing a new food business a Development Application may be required when it is necessary to install a new food preparation area or retrofit an existing area.

All works undertaken in constructing the premises must comply with the following standards and legislation.

• Food Act 2003 and Regulations there under.

• Australian Standard 4674-2004 Design, construction and fit-out of food premises.

• Australian Standard 1668.2-2012 The use of ventilation and air conditioning in buildings – Ventilation design for indoor air contaminant control. 

Businesses that need to notify to the NSW Food Authority include:

• caterers not retailing the food at their premises

• egg farms producing no more than 20 dozen eggs in any week

• home food preparation where the food is not retailed at the premises, such as:

  • for catering businesses

  • for food stalls at periodic or one-off events

  • home-based businesses

• importers of food or food ingredients that do not retail from their premises

• manufacturers if they do not need a Food Authority licence

• poultry meat farms growing fewer than 100 birds

• transport of live poultry

• wholesalers.

The NSW Food Authority has an online registration service which may be accessed on their website. 

Complaints regarding poor hygiene, food handling or unclean premises can be made by contacting our customer service centre on (02) 9839 6000.

Complaints relating to poor hygiene, food handling or unclean premises for food shops licensed by the NSW Food Authority, such as butchers, should be reported to the NSW Food Authority.

Food poisoning events that impact multiple households should be reported to the NSW Food Authority on 1300 552 406. We will investigate food poisoning complaints if those impacted are all from the same household.

Proposed food vending activity on Private land

Approvals for food vending activities on privately owned land are the responsibility of our Planning Policy Unit. For information and enquiries contact our Planning Policy Unit.

Proposed food vending activity on Public land

Approvals for the vending of food on public land should be sought from our Environmental Health Unit. This includes temporary food marquees, regular ‘fixed’ location food vendors and regular mobile (itinerant) vendors.  

For activities which are to be undertaken on our owned public land, approval should be sought from our Community Events and Sister Cities team.

Itinerant vendors are required to register their business with us. This can be done by submitting the mobile vending vehicles form.(PDF, 106KB)

Vehicles used for the purpose of mobile food vending will be subject to annual inspections by our health officers. 

Temporary and itinerant vendors are required to comply with the National Code for Food Vending Vehicles and Temporary Food Premises.

This document is produced by the Australian Institute of Environmental Health, and is available by calling (02) 9181 3320.

Preparing and handling food for sale

Formal training is not required for the handling and/ or preparation of food. Supervisors and employers are however, responsible for ensuring that staff have the appropriate skills and knowledge to undertake these operations. To ensure this it may be necessary to provide staff members with:

• literature which is specific to the operations undertaken by staff.

• in house training, provided by a more skilled staff member to staff with less skills.

• sending staff to courses provided by other people, or sending staff away to obtain formal qualifications.

Visit the Food Standards Australia website for more information. 

Food poisoning is unpleasant. Watch the truth about food poisoning video and learn more about the causes of food poisoning, how to avoid it. Press play with caution.

For more information visit the NSW Food Authority website.