Food Businesses
INFORMATION SHEET - Home Food Business
A food business is a business or activity that involves the handling of food (intended for sale) or the sale of food.
This also includes:
- Any food given away for promotional purposes
- Commercial, charitable or community nature activities
- Activities occurring once only or regularly
- Permanent or mobile food businesses
- Food businesses operating from a home kitchen
Do I need to be registered and what is required?
Under the Food Act 2008, every food business, community group or charitable organisation that sells food to the public, is required to notify or register with the local government in which they operate.
This is done by completing the Food Business Notification/Registration Form and attaching floor plans of the premises. Fees and charges apply.
You may also need Planning Approval.
The sale of food covers everything from wine, whole fruits and vegetables, pre-packaged confectionary through to sausage sizzles, large restaurants and seafood processing.
Before the Food Business is registered under the Food Act 2008, the Environmental Health Officer will need to conduct a health inspection at the proposed business location.
Once the business is deemed to comply with the Food Act 2008 / Food Standards Code then a Food Business Registration Certificate will be issued.
Please refer to the fit-out guide for further information on fitting out a food business.
What is the difference between a food business, trader’s permit and a temporary food permit?
A food business is a fixed permanent business which is registered (Food Business Certificate) within the Shire of Chittering (or any local government) who is selling, making, repackaging, or distributing food from a registered premises and is subject to frequent inspections to ensure compliance. A mobile food business is a food premises designed to be permanent but mobile such as food vans, trucks, or trailers and is still considered a Food Business.
Any food business registered within the Shire of Chittering (Mobile, Home, Premises etc) is allowed to trade at events, with a yearly events permit as part of their food business registration. This events permit does not permit trading on thoroughfares.
If you are looking at trading on a throughfare, then a Trader’s permit is required. A Trader’s permit is for any mobile food businesses including food trucks, food vans etc. which are registered(Food Business Certificate) with a Local Government in WA and who is looking at operating within the Shire of Chittering.
A Temporary Food Permit is a once off permit typically used to sell food at an occasional event, such as a fete, fair, festival, market or show, usually lasting a matter of hours or days.
Apply for a Temporary Food Permit here.
This is a permit for registered food businesses who are registered in other Local Governments and would like to trade within the Shire of Chittering.
The food business usually operates from a temporary structure set up for the event, such as a market stall, tent or barbeque stand, and it may include parts of structures and land. The structure is usually dismantled after the event.
I am registered within the Shire of Chittering and would like to attend events/markets?
A food business which is registered within the Shire of Chittering can have a Trader’s Permit, allowing them to trade at events within the Shire and they do not require a Temporary Food Permit.
I am NOT registered within the Shire of Chittering and would like to attend events/markets?
A food business which is NOT registered within the Shire of Chittering is required to apply for a Temporary Food Permit and is required to apply with their current Food Business registration from the Local Government which they are registered in.
I am a charity/not for profit organisation and would like to attend events/markets
A charity/not for profit organisation is required to apply for a Temporary Food Permit (Food business registration is not required during application process)