FOOD, HEALTH AND ACCOMMODATION BUSINESS INFORMATION

Click on the links below for more information:

REGISTRATION UNDER THE FOOD ACT 1984 (VIC)

FOOD BUSINESS CLASSIFICATION

FOOD SAFETY

STREATRADER FOR TEMPORARY AND MOBILE FOOD

TRANSFER OF FOOD, HEALTH AND ACCOMMODATION BUSINESSES

HEALTH AND ACCOMMODATION BUSINESSES REQUIRING COUNCIL REGISTRATION

TOBACCO CONTROLS

REGISTRATION UNDER THE FOOD ACT 1984 (VIC)

Council is responsible for registering and inspecting a wide range of food businesses that operate in the Hindmarsh shire.

If you are considering starting a food business e.g. home based kitchen/business or café, we recommend you contact Environmental Health (details below) to discuss your registration requirements.

Council recommends any new businesses undergo a ‘Plans Approval Process’. This is where a council officer comes to your premises (by appointment) and takes you through a step-by-step approval process to assist you to meet relevant standards for design and construction of your premises e.g. recommended basins, benchtops, etc. Proposed business owners are then required to submit the layout of the plans including location of all fixtures, equipment and furniture. (Please Note: This is not a legislative requirement but highly recommended to avoid any non-compliance later on).

If you design and construct a food premise without going through the Plans Approval Process, registration may not be granted (where the construction does not meet the relevant standards).

For more information, please contact Environmental Health on (03) 5391 4444 or email eho@hindmarsh.vic.gov.au.

FOOD BUSINESS CLASSIFICATION

Food businesses are classified depending on the type of food sold. The category each business falls into determines the level of regulation and requirements imposed on the business. Below are each of the categories:

Class 1 Premises

Businesses that predominantly handle potentially hazardous food that is served to vulnerable groups. Examples include hospitals, aged care facilities and childcare centres. The business requires a food safety program to be written specifically for the business and a food safety supervisor for the site.

Class 2 Premises

Businesses whose main activity is handling unpackaged potentially hazardous foods which need correct temperature control to keep them safe. Examples include restaurants, caterers, cafes and most manufacturers. The business may require a standard food safety program to be maintained and a food safety supervisor for the site.

Class 3 Premises

Businesses whose main activity involves the handling or sale of unpackaged low-risk foods or pre-packaged potentially hazardous foods not commonly associated with food poisoning. Examples include milk bars, convenience stores, wholesalers and water carters. The business requires only minimum records to be kept.

Class 4 Premises

Businesses that pose a low risk to public health. Generally, this includes the sale of pre-packaged shelf-stable foods. Examples include uncut fruit and vegetables, bottle shops, simple sausage sizzles. The business does not generally require records to be kept, these businesses are encouraged to be registered on the statewide Streatrader system.

FOOD SAFETY

Under the Food Act 1984 (VIC), all food business owners (and community groups who sell food) are legally responsible to ensure food sold or prepared for sale is safe to eat.

Hindmarsh Shire Council is responsible for protecting the health of the community. All food businesses are required to be registered with their local Council.

The Food Act 1984 (VIC) also requires food premises to comply with the Food Standards Code Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).

It is a criminal offence under the Food Act to handle or sell food that does not comply with any requirement set out in the Code. The Food Act also includes offences involving the handling or sale of unsafe or unsuitable food and false descriptions of food. It is also an offence to sell food that is damaged, has deteriorated or perished, is adulterated, or unfit for human consumption. More information about this can be found on the Department of Health and Human Services website here: https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/public-health/food-safety/food-businesses/food-standards-code.

This means that it is not only the business owner or proprietor who is responsible for food safety in the business, all staff that handle and prepare food for sale to consumers are responsible for food safety.

Without compromising food safety, the Act is designed to impose only reasonable compliance costs on businesses and community groups that sell food. It does this through matching the level of regulation to the level of risk of different food business activities.

Some of the activities that Environmental Health Officers undertake to monitor the safety of food prepared and sold in Hindmarsh Shire include –

• Plan approval for new food premises and existing food premises which are undergoing renovations
• Inspecting food premises to ensure food is being stored, prepared and sold in a safe manner
• Conducting food safety program compliance checks
• Investigating food-related complaints and incidents of illnesses associated with food
• Collecting samples of different foods for analysis to confirm the safety of the products
• Following up on food recalls to ensure affected products have been removed from sale to the public
• Ensuring foods are correctly labelled in accordance with the Food Standards Code

STREATRADER FOR TEMPORARY AND MOBILE FOOD

Streatrader is the online system used to manage the statewide registration of temporary and mobile food (temporary food premises). Implemented in July 2011, Streatrader is a recognised system to assist –

• in the monitoring of mobile and temporary food premises operating throughout Victoria.
• business owners and community groups to have a central registration for mobile and temporary food premises (mobile food) and simplify the application process when trading in any Victorian municipality.

Any Notifications and Statements of Trade must be completed and lodged online through Streatrader at https://streatrader.health.vic.gov.au/

Who uses Streatrader?

• Temporary food business. This includes community groups or businesses that conduct the activity within stalls, tents or other temporary structures at markets, festivals, fetes and other short-term events
• Mobile food businesses. A vehicle that moves site to site, selling food. Such as mobile vans and carts.
• Food vending machines. These are treated like a food premises. The owner must register each vending machine, not the premises where it is located
• Water transport vehicles. Vehicles that are used to transport water for human consumption or that is used to prepare food, make ice or consumption, or preserve unpackaged foods. These are usually treated as mobile food premises.

Create your login for Streatrader

Create a Streatrader login by visiting Streatrader at https://streatrader.health.vic.gov.au/

Once you have received your Username and Password details you can then log into Streatrader.

TRANSFER OF FOOD, HEALTH AND ACCOMMODATION BUSINESSES

If there is an existing business registration, an application must be made to Council to transfer the registration to the new owner of the business. You can get information on the current condition of the business and any issues that have been identified through inspections by an Environmental Health Officer. Consent from the existing owner must be obtained before Council can release information. When settlement of a business purchase is complete, the completed transfer of registration form and relevant fee must be submitted to Council. Failure to do so can result in penalties.

Contact Environmental Health on (03) 5391 4444 to obtain the relevant forms or if you have any further enquiries, you can email eho@hindmarsh.vic.gov.au.

HEALTH AND ACCOMMODATION BUSINESSES REQUIRING COUNCIL REGISTRATION

Council is responsible for registering and inspecting a wide range of businesses that operate in Hindmarsh Shire. Examples include:

Health Businesses

• Hairdressers
• Skin penetration businesses
• Tattooists
• Beauty therapy businesses

Accommodation Businesses

• Motels/hotels
• Bed and Breakfasts
• Guest accommodation
• Caravan parks
• Rooming houses

Contact Environmental Health to discuss registration requirements. New premises require a plans approval application (below) as part of the registration process. If you design and construct a business without Council approval, registration may not be granted.

TOBACCO CONTROLS

Hindmarsh has a number or registered retailers, outdoor smoking areas and smoke-free dining areas. The control of tobacco and related products is under the Tobacco Act 1987 (Vic) and is controlled and enforced by Council.

Council's Environmental Health officers regularly conduct visits to tobacco retailers to ensure they are aware of and comply with regulations on the sale of tobacco including

• The display of health warning signs;
• That tobacco products must be covered and not be visible to the public from inside or outside the retail premises;
• The display of the "We don't sell tobacco to u/18s" sign;
• of tobacco advertising within the store including 'discounted' or 'cheap cigarettes' signage;
• The training of staff about selling tobacco to minors.

The sale of tobacco products to a person under the age of 18 years of age is illegal and incurs heavy penalties. If a member of the public witnesses a sale to persons under the age of 18, contact Environmental Health.

Council regularly conducts test purchasing where a test purchaser under the age of 18 is engaged to buy cigarettes from tobacco retail outlets within the Shire. Offenders can be served infringements notices or taken to court and risk having their right to sell tobacco revoked.

If you wish to start selling tobacco or have enquiries about your responsibilities with regards to selling tobacco, contact Environmental Health or view the Department of Health website to obtain the following information:

• Retailers, including premises with vending machines
• Certified specialist tobacconists
• Workplaces
• Licenced premises
• Outdoor dining or drinking
• Legislation and regulations