STARTING A NEW FOOD BUSINESS? GUIDELINES FOR OPENING A CLASS 3 FOOD BUSINESS

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1 STARTING A NEW FOOD BUSINESS? GUIDELINES FOR OPENING A CLASS 3 FOOD BUSINESS Updated: July 2010 Contents Procedure for opening a new Food Business... 2 Basic Records... 3 Summary - Construction and Fitout of Food Premises... 4 Other Departments & Organisations... 6 Overview To protect public health, all food businesses must comply with the Food Act 1984 and the Food Standards Code. A food business is an enterprise or activity involving the sale of food (this includes water and alcohol). Under the Food Act, most businesses operating in Victoria cannot sell food to the public unless they register as a food business with their local council. A small number of businesses do not need to register with their council; however they are still required to notify council of their intended food business activities. More information can be accessed on the Department of Health website: Food Business Classification Councils classify every food premise within their municipal districts according to their food safety risk using the Department of Health s Food business classification tool (Class 1, 2, 3, 4). If you have not already determined your business class, please read the City of Greater Bendigo s What is your food business class? or use the Department of Health s Food business classification tool ( Registration Class 3 food premises must register with the City of Greater Bendigo by completing an Application to Register a Food Premise form and paying the appropriate fee. Registration is normally annual and expires on the 31 December of each year. Additional information is available on the front page of registration/notification forms. Requirements Class 3 food premises must keep and complete basic records about food handling practices. Minimum records are set by the Department of Health. Details are available on the Department of Health s webpage All food businesses regardless of the class must comply with the Food Standards Code. ~ Page 1 of 6 ~

2 Procedure for opening a new Food Business 1. Submit Plans Plans must be submitted with the appropriate fee Use the Application Form Submitting Plans for Approval A list of fees are available on the City of Greater Bendigo website go to Council Services, Health Services. You will need to submit two (2) copies of the plans drawn to scale of not less than 1 to 100 and these must: show the layout of all equipment, fittings and fixtures; describe/list the types of surfaces/materials for walls, floors, ceilings, equipment and fittings; show lighting and drainage; be clear as to the location of the water supply, waste disposal, lighting, the bin wash area, ventilation, sinks & hand washing basins, storage areas and toilets etc. 2. Checking your plans Environmental Health will assess your plans to ensure they meet the requirements of Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Standard Food Premises and Equipment. (see Summary - Construction and Fitout of Food Premises at the end of this document). You will receive a letter detailing any outstanding items. This process requires a minimum of 14 days. This time period may extend if additional information needs to be requested or the assessment requires referral to another department or organisation. 3. Premise inspection Once you have received a copy of your endorsed plans together with a letter of additional requirements, you may begin work on the premise. If you have any questions during construction please contact your Environmental Health Officer. When construction is completed you will need to contact your Environmental Health Officer to arrange for a final inspection. Please allow a minimum of 7 days notice. During the final inspection an Environmental Health Officer will check that all of the specified requirements have been met. In the event that any requirements have not been completed the premises may not be able to open. 4. Basic Records Class 3 premises are required to keep basic records as set by the Department of Health. A class 3 premise may also choose to use a food safety program. See the City of Greater Bendigo Guidelines for opening a Class 2 food business for more information on food safety programs. Basic records must be kept onsite and be completed. They will be checked as part of the City of Greater Bendigo s routine inspection program. See Basic Records on page 3 of this document for more information. 6. Granting Registration Before the premise can operate, you must apply to register by submitting a completed application form with the appropriate fee to Environmental Health & Local Laws. Applications forms are available on the City of Greater Bendigo website ( go to Council Services, Health Services) or from the Council offices. Please allow 14 days to process your application. Once it has been processed you will receive a Certificate of Registration (Food Act 1984) to operate a food business. You can now open your business to the public! Registration is annual and expires on the 31 December of each year. Important: Your premises must not be open to the public until approval is given by the City of Greater Bendigo. It is an offence under the Food Act 1984 to operate a food business without being registered. ~ Page 2 of 6 ~

3 Basic Records The Department of Health provide four pro-former sets of record sheets. Theses are available from their website or from the City of Greater Bendigo. The record sets are: A for Fixed and Mobile Premise The majority of Class 3 food businesses will use this set of record sheets B for Temporary Food Businesses C for Community Groups at 1 or 2 day events D for Community Groups at events over 2 days If you are unsure as to which set applies, the Department of Health have prepared a checklist to help you determine which is most appropriate. This checklist is also available at the above address or from the City of Greater Bendigo. Minimum Records Summary This is a summary only full requirements are listed in Government Gazette S.241 Minimum Record Keeping Class 3 Food Premises All Class 3 premises are required to keep the following records: PHF=Potentially Hazardous Foods 1. Supply Records Trading Name of Supplier Type of food supplied Address of Supplier Phone Number of Supplier Dockets/Invoices from supplier 2. Temperature of PHF in cold storage Temperatures must be checked at least once per week description sufficient to identify the unit operating temperature set for that unit date temperature measured measured temperature of an item of such food stored in that unit corrective action if out of temperature 3. Temperature of PHF heated prior to sale Temperatures must be checked at least once per week description sufficient to identify the unit operating temperature set for that unit date temperature measured measured temperature of an item of such food heated in that unit corrective action if out of temperature 4. Temperature control of deliveries of PHF Either Monthly check of procedures Have a written procedure and for each supplier check a monthly random check; Procedure was followed Date of check Result of check Name of supplier Corrective actions if necessary or Monthly check of supplies Random temperature check of a PHF from that supplier and record Name of supplier Date of check Description of goods/item Temperature measured Corrective actions if necessary Further Information For further information or help contact your Environmental Health Officer (EHO) on. ~ Page 3 of 6 ~

4 Summary - Construction and Fitout of Food Premises Summary only for the full requirements see Chapter 3 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (Standard Food Premises and Equipment) or City of Greater Bendigo Guideline for the Construction and Fitout of Food Premises Food Premises: Provide a plan to scale not less than 1:100 showing all parts of the premise, and the location of all fixtures, equipment and fittings, with a specification of all materials used. The design and construction of food premises must - (a) be appropriate for the activities for which the premise is used; (b) provide adequate space for the activities to be conducted on the food premises and for the fixtures, fittings and equipment used for those activities; (c) permit the food premises to be effectively cleaned and, if necessary, sanitised; and (d) to the extent that is practicable - (i) exclude dirt, dust, fumes, smoke and other contaminants; (ii) not permit the entry of pests; and (iii) not provide harbourage for pests. Must have an adequate supply of drinking water (potable water). Must have an effective sewage and waste water disposal systems. Must provide adequate facilities for the storage of garbage and recyclable matter that keeps the garbage free from pests and animals. Must be able to be easily and effectively cleaned. Floors must be designed and constructed in a way that is appropriate for the activities conducted at the food premises: They must be able to be effectively cleaned, unable to absorb grease, food particles or water (impervious). Laid so that there is no ponding of water. Be unable to provide harbourage for pests. Coving should be provided for the floor to wall corner, exposed plinths and cupboards etc. Coving should be a radius of not less than 25mm. Where flexible floor coverings are used they should be continued at least 75mm up the wall/vertical surface. Note - unsealed concrete is not an impervious surface. Walls and ceilings must be designed and constructed in a way that is appropriate for the activities conducted at the food premise. They must be: sealed to prevent the entry of dirt, dust and pests; unable to absorb grease, food particles or water, able to be easily and effectively cleaned; unable to provide harbourage for pests. Note - Where walls or ceilings are painted use a washable gloss of a light colour. Ensure there are adequate storage space for cleaning products and materials. You must also provide a suitable cleaners sink for the disposal of cleaning water. ~ Page 4 of 6 ~

5 Fixtures, fittings and equipment must be adequate for the production of safe and suitable food and fit for their intended use. Fixtures, fittings and equipment must be designed, constructed, located and installed so: there is no likelihood that they will cause food contamination; they are able to be easily and effectively cleaned; the adjacent floors, walls, ceilings and other surfaces are able to be easily and effectively cleaned; they do not provide harbourage for pests. Note - Bare timber is generally not suitable for use in food premise. Must have sufficient natural and/or mechanical ventilation to effectively remove fumes, smoke, steam and vapours from the food premises. A Mechanical Exhaust Systems (MES) should be installed and operated in accordance with Australian Standard AS 1668, Parts 1 & 2. The food contact surfaces of fixtures, fittings and equipment must be able to be easily and effectively cleaned and sanitised: they must be unable to absorb grease, food particles and water (impervious); made of material that will not contaminate food. Eating and drinking utensils must be able to be easily and effectively cleaned and sanitised. You should provide enough sinks for adequate washing and additionally for the preparation of food. Hand washing facilities must be a permanent fixture connected to a supply of warm running potable water: of a size that allows easy and effective hand washing; clearly designated for the sole purpose of washing hands, arms and face; located where they can be easily accessed by food handlers within areas where food handlers work and immediately adjacent to the toilets or toilet cubicles; should be of the hands-free variety, for example Infrared (IR) sensor or foot operated. Must have a lighting system that provides sufficient natural or artificial light for the activities conducted on the food premises. Lighting should comply with Australian Standard AS1680. Fluorescent lighting should be protected with suitable diffuser covers or shatter proof covers. Must have adequate storage facilities for the storage of items that are likely to be the source of contamination of food, including chemicals, clothing and personal belongings. These storage facilities must be located where there is no likelihood of stored items contaminating food or food contact surfaces. Must ensure that adequate toilets are available for the use of food handlers working for the food business. In addition: Vehicles used to transport food must be designed and constructed to protect food during transport. They must be constructed of suitable material and able to be effectively cleaned and sanitised (as described above). ~ Page 5 of 6 ~

6 Other Departments & Organisations Please be aware that there are a wide range of City of Greater Bendigo departments and other organisations that may have conditions and requirements that your business must comply with. Business Victoria is a useful contact when trying to determine which organisations you may need to make contact with. Business Victoria can be contacted on or Below is a brief list with some of the common departments or organisations you may need to contact. Statutory Planning (Planning Services) City of Greater Bendigo Change of use of a building If the business is in an appropriate location Permanent signage Parking requirements (03) planningenquiries@bendigo.vic.gov.au go to Council Services, Planning Services Building Services City of Greater Bendigo Fire safety Disabled access Toilet & facility requirements Construction standards (03) buildingadmin@bendigo.vic.gov.au go to Council Services, Building Services Local Laws (Environmental Health & Local Laws) City of Greater Bendigo Outdoor dining Goods on footpaths Temporary signage Street trading (03) go to Council Services, Local Laws Liquor Licensing liquor@justice.vic.gov.au Coliban Water Sewer connections Water connections If grease traps are required coliban@coliban.com.au ~ Page 6 of 6 ~