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Temporary Food Act Registration
Commercial Food Operators
Community Groups
Free online training
Commercial Food Operators
From 1 July 2011 a new system was introduced across Victoria for registering Class 2 and Class 3 commercial operators that trade within the Whitehorse municipality on a transient basis, eg food vehicles and off site caterers operating at events and festivals etc. From that date these commercial food operators will register with a single council, normally where the vehicle is garaged or equipment is stored. Commercial food operators will then notify the various councils where they will be trading via a Statement of Trade which, initially, will be a manual system but will eventually move to an internet based system.
Class 2 temporary food premises will need a Food Safety Program and a Food Safety Supervisor.
Class 3 temporary food premises will need to keep minimum records.
Class 4 commercial food operators need only notify Council using the form attached to the Requirements for Operating a Temporary Food Premises (Class 4).
Community Groups
Community groups raising funds for not for profit groups will be classed according to the level of risk associated with the type of foods handled and served and how it is handled etc.
Class 2 – Your group will be classed as a Class 2 temporary food business if you are going to do either of the following:
- Prepare and sell ready to eat foods, such as sandwiches containing cheese, smallgoods, or any other potentially hazardous foods; or
- sell unpackaged high risk foods if you are cooking the food and holding it (for example in a bain marie) and then serving it hot or cooking food, cooling it and storing it in a fridge before reheating the food and serving it.
You will not need a Food Safety Supervisor if your food handlers are mostly volunteers and the food activity does not take place at the site for more than two days.
You will need either the Temporary Food Events food safety program, or other suitable food safety program, which must be kept at the site throughout the event.
Class 3 – Your group will be classed as a Class 3 premises if you are selling ready to eat high risk foods that are cooked on site and served immediately, that most of the food handlers are volunteers and the food activity does not take place at the site for more than two days.
You will need to register with Council and keep the minimum records, like those in the Food safety guide for community groups.
Class 4 – Your group will be classed as a Class 4 premises if you are running a sausage sizzle (sausage, onion, bread and sauce only) or a cake stall (without fillings made from fresh cream or uncooked eggs).
You will only need to notify Council of your intend to operate a Class 4 food premises using a Notification Form.
Free Online Training
Regardless of which class of food premises you are planning you should consider asking all of your food handlers to undertake the free online food safety training.
More information can be obtained from the Department of Health website or the Food fundraisers information booklet.