Food businesses in Yarra must comply with laws based on their classification. Requirements include food safety programs and supervisors.
To register a food premises, or learn about how food businesses are classified, visit register a food premises.
You must comply with a range of laws when operating a food business. What you need to do will depend on the classification of your food business.
On this page
Food safety program
A food safety program is a plan for how your business will ensure its food is safe for human consumption. If you operate a class 1 or 2 food premises, you must have a food safety program and always keep it at the premises.
If you operate a Class 2 food premises, you will only need a food safety program if you undertake one or more of the following high-risk food handling activities:
- Sous vide cooking
- Handling potentially hazardous food that does not involve temperature control to minimise growth of pathogenic or toxigenic organisms
- Preparation of acidified/fermented foods or drinks that are ready to eat and have a high level of acidity required to keep food safe.
- Preparation of ready-to-eat foods containing raw unshelled eggs (unpasteurised).
- Preparation of ready-to-eat raw or rare minced/finely chopped red meats.
- Preparation of ready-to-eat raw and rare poultry and game meats.
- Off-site catering where ready-to-eat potentially hazardous food is prepared or partially prepared in one location, transported to another location, where the food is served at a catering event.
- Any other complex food process activity such as:
- Pasteurisation/thermal processing.
- Modified Atmosphere Packaging food where oxygen has been removed and/or replaced with other gases for food safety or to increase shelf life of the food.
- Any food processing activity which does not involve the use of temperature control, to minimise the growth of pathogenic or toxigenic organisms in food.
If you're applying to register a new food premises or buy an existing food premises, you must include the food safety program details with your application (when required).
Where you have a food safety program, you must comply with all the requirements of the program.
Programs can be standard or non-standard.
Standard food safety programs
A standard food safety program template is available from the Department of Health website called FoodSmart
Organisations and industry groups have also developed their own templates. These may be available to the public, organisation members or franchises.
Non-standard food safety programs
Non-standard food safety programs are written for a particular food business.
Class 1 food premises must have a non-standard program. This is because your business provides food to at-risk groups such as the elderly, hospital patients or children.
Class 2 food premises can choose between a standard or non-standard food safety program.
An approved food safety auditor must audit all non-standard programs. This will help ensure that it's suitable for your business, and that you're complying with it. Audit results are sent to us.
If your food handling activities are not covered under a standard program, you will need a non-standard program. A food safety auditor will assess the program to ensure it covers all hazards.
Food safety supervisors
Food safety supervisors:
- know how to recognise and prevent hazards associated with food handling
- have an appropriate food safety competency standard from a registered training organisation
- have the authority to supervise other people handling food at your premises.
Class 1 and 2 food businesses must have a food safety supervisor for the premises.
Class 3 and 4 food businesses don't need a food safety supervisor, but they must ensure that all staff have the skills and knowledge to handle food safely.
Read more about food safety supervisors.
Our role in food safety
Our role is to advise, support and monitor food businesses within Yarra, so they comply with their responsibilities to sell safe food.
Our duties as the registration authority under the Food Act 1984 include:
- registering and inspecting premises that sell, store, make or transport food
- accepting notifications for premises that sell, store, make or transport food
- checking food safety, quality and labelling by getting samples and having them analysed
- responding to complaints about issues such as food poisoning, contamination, hygiene and handling standards
- conducing food recalls based on advice by the Department of Health
- educating business operators, staff and the community by providing information and advice.
Other regulators
We don't regulate all food handling activities. This table shows the authority for different activities.
| Activity | Authority |
|---|---|
| Meat, game, poultry, fish and seafood handling or processing | PrimeSafe |
| Dairy handling or processing | Dairy Food Safety Victoria |
| Sale or production of herbal medicines | Chinese Medicine Registration Board of Victoria |
| Sale or production of medicines or consumable medical treatments | Therapeutic Goods Administration |