Food safety and licensing

Do I require a food licence?

The Bundaberg Region has an amazingly diverse range of fresh food products due to the local availability of agricultural and seafood industries which service the more than 550 licensed food businesses in the Bundaberg Region.

Unregulated food handling and storage is a potential risk to the public's health and safety and it is critical that these businesses are regulated and comply with all relevant food legislation.

Food businesses are required by law to be licensed by their relevant local government authority.

Under the Food Act 2006 a licence is required if you run a food business that:

  • involves the manufacture of food; or
  • involves the retail sale of unpackaged food (e.g. restaurant and takeaway shops) and is not a non-profit organisation; or
  • is carried on by a non-profit organisation and involves the sale of meals on at least 12 days each year.

Businesses that are not required to hold a food licence includes, but is not limited to those businesses that;

  • sell pre-packaged food only,
  • sell whole fruit and vegetables only,
  • are involved in the production of primary produce such as milk or meat at a butcher, with accreditation. It is recommended that such businesses contact Safe Food Production Queensland or refer to the Food Production (Safety) Act 2000 for more information.
  • sell drinks such as tea, coffee, soft drinks and alcohol. The sale of alcohol requires a liquor licence with the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation.
  • sell snack foods that are not potentially hazardous. Snack foods include;
    • biscuits and cakes, carob, chocolate bars, chocolates, churros, confectionary, corn chips and potato chips, crackers, croissants and doughnuts.
  • sell seeds, spices and dried herbs,
  • sell tea leaves,
  • sell coffee beans and ground coffee,
  • grind coffee beans,
  • sell ice and flavoured ice,
  • sell the following foods when they are not potentially hazardous;
    • cereals, cocoa, coconut, uncooked couscous, crushed, puffed or toasted nuts, grains and seeds, edible oil, for example, olive oil, vegetable oil and macadamia oil, flour, legumes, lentils, noodles, oats, uncooked pasta, preparations for spreading on bread, for example, honey, peanut butter, hazelnut spread, Vegemite, jam and marmalade, quinoa, sugar, syrups, for example, golden syrup, maple syrup, rice syrup, malt syrup, glucose syrup and coconut syrup.

You may not need a licence for the activities listed but you still need to comply with the Food Act 2006

What type of licence do I need?

There are several different types of food licences, those being:

Are all food businesses required to have a Food Safety Supervisor?

Yes. All licensed food businesses, are required to nominate a Food Safety Supervisor (FSS).

With the introduction of new Food Standard 3.2.2A from 8 December 2023, most food businesses must ensure that their FSS holds a certificate from a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) issued within the last 5 years.

The food safety supervisor must hold the required competencies, and they must also:

  • have the ability to supervise food handling practices in the food business and authority to give instructions to food handlers around the safe handling of food;
  • know how to recognise potential food safety hazards of the business and ensure the risks are prevented or managed; and,
  • be reasonably available to advise and supervise food handlers.

New businesses:

For new businesses, the FSS will need to hold the certificate prior to commencing food handling activities.

Exempt businesses:

Very few businesses are exempt, please contact Council's Environmental Health Services for further information.

For more information on food safety supervisor training and competency:

Food safety supervisor training and competency requirements

Food Safety Supervisor - InfoBite Fact Sheet

Application to Amend or Notify Food Safety Supervisor


Does my food business require a Food Safety Program?

The Food Act 2006 requires some licensable food businesses to have an accredited Food Safety Program (FSP) to systematically identify, document and control food safety hazards within a food business.

Food businesses that are required to have an accredited FSP include those that:

  • involve off-site catering,
  • involve onsite catering at the premise stated on the licence,
  • involve onsite catering at part of the premise stated on the licence
    • Example: a function room used for on-site catering which is situated on the premises of a large hotel
  • operate as a private hospital under the Private Health Facilities Act 1999
  • produce potentially hazardous food for vulnerable populations including hospital patients, young children in child care centres, elderly people in aged care facilities, and services such as meals on wheels.

For further information including examples of on and offsite catering activities that are required to have an accredited FSP please click here.

There are various templates available on the Queensland Health website. These templates are a helpful resource, however, when using a template to develop a FSP you must ensure that it is altered to reflect the actual activities conducted at the food business.

To make an application for FSP accreditation with Council, a paper copy of the completed FSP along with the written advice from an approved auditor must be submitted to Council's Environmental Health Services for assessment. Once recieved the applicable fee will be raised and an invoice for this amount will be provided to the applicant. Please note that the FSP will not be assessed until the fee is paid. If you are applying for a food business licence and the food business requires FSP accreditation, you must apply for both together using the Application for Food Business Licence.

Choosing an Approved Auditor

Once an application is received Council has up to 30 days to accredit the FSP. You will be contacted should additional information be required to process the application, please note this will extend the processing timeframes. You will be notified when a decision has been made regarding your application.

Amending or taking over an existing food licence?

Before purchasing an existing business, it is recommended that an application is made for a Health Search to be conducted by Council’s Environmental Health Services. The search can take the form of a desktop audit or a physical audit, dependant on individual choice, and allows officers to advise of any non-compliant matters.

Application - Health Search

The following application must be completed if there is a change to the following;

  • the licensee,
  • business details (e.g. contact details, postal address),
  • the approved food preparation area,
  • the premises Food Safety Program

Application - Amendment of Exisiting Food Premises

How do I renew or cancel my food licence?

Renewal Process

Once a licence is issued by Council, it will remain in force until the 30th of June each year, unless surrendered or cancelled prior to this date.

In the months prior to the end of the financial year, the licensee will receive a renewal notice and accompanying invoice. The notice must be completed and returned to Council, and the payment made prior to 30 June.

Please note, if your food licence is not renewed with the renewal form and payment of the licence fee, your food licence will lapse by the end of August, and you will need to reapply for a food licence.

Cancellation Process

The Food Act 2006 requires a written comfirmation of your intention to surrender your licence. If your business is no longer trading, please email Council ceo@bundaberg.qld.gov.au advising that operation of the food business has ceased.

Food licence renewal fact sheet(PDF, 353KB)

Does Council provide free food hygiene training?

IMPORTANT: Food Handler Training is not the same as Food Safety Supervisor training.

For Food Safety Supervisor Training Click here.

Food Handler Training - online food safety course

With the introduction of new Australian Food Standard 3.2.2A, from 8 December 2023 businesses must ensure that each food handler:

  • has completed a food safety training course; or,
  • has appropriate skills and knowledge of food safety and hygiene commensurate with the food handling activity.

The I'm Alert online interactive course is provided for free for businesses within the Bundaberg Region and emphasises how food safety and hygiene is important for all food handlers to understand.

I'm Alert is easy to follow, includes an entertaining presentation, as well as quizzes and includes subjects such as contamination of food, storage, processing, display, packaging and transportation.

New food handlers should undertake this training, and all food handlers should regularly complete this training to refresh their food safety knowledge. Businesses should retain the certificates as evidence of training.

Please ensure that you have the following before commencing the training:

  • a reliable internet connection;
  • time to complete all the training in one session (takes 1.5 - 2 hours); and,
  • a printer to print the certificate.

Please note: If you experience technical difficulties whilst using this service please contact the service provider using their contact page. Council cannot provide technical assistance.

Alternative food handler training courses are accepted. Prior learning may be recognised (e.g. previous training courses, or equivalent experience in the industry), and will be assessed during routine food safety inspections. Ensure that alternative training covers:

  • safe handling of food;
  • food contamination through cross contamination;
  • cleaning of food premises and equipment;
  • cleaning and sanitising of food contact surfaces;
  • personal hygiene and hand washing; and,
  • temperature control (hot food hot - cold food cold).

For more information please view the Mandatory Food Handler Training Info Bite fact sheet.

Food Safety Standard 3.2.2A

 

Food News

Food News is a newsletter released quarterly by Council's Environmental Health Services, aimed to inform and educate food businesses on food safety, updates to legislation and legislative requirements, and provide answers to frequently asked questions.

This newsletter is distributed via email to all licensed food businesses within the Bundaberg Region.

If you hold a food licence with Bundaberg Regional Council but have not yet received an emailed copy of Food News, please email ceo@bundaberg.qld.gov.au to ensure your contact details are up-to-date.