Notify the Food Authority or local council of a food business

Introduction

If your business is going to sell food, you must notify either your local council or the NSW Food Authority before you start.

You do not need to notify if your business:

is a not-for-profit community or fundraising event selling food that is not potentially hazardous
is a primary production food business (that does not need a Food Authority licence).

If you're unsure of the notification requirements for your business, visit the NSW Food Authority website.

You need to notify your local council if your business sells or serves food directly to consumers, such as a:

cafe, restaurant or takeaway
childcare providing food
school canteen
grocery store or supermarket
mobile food outlet
food stall holder at a regular, temporary or one-off event
manufacturer, distributer, importer or caterer that sells direct to the final consumer
seafood retailer.

Note: If you have already applied to your local council for services, permits and approvals for the food business, you do not need to notify.

You need to notify the NSW Food Authority if your business is in an area not governed by a local council, or is a:

home-based food business that does not sell directly to consumers
food manufacturer or wholesaler
business that imports food or food ingredients and does not sell directly to consumers
small egg farm (fewer than 20 dozen eggs a week)
small poultry meat farm (fewer than 100 birds at a time)
transporter of live poultry
water-borne food service.

A range of food producers and transporters must have a Food Authority licence to operate in NSW.