Food Business Notification Form
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The food business notification form used for a single business location
In South Australia, under Section 86 of the Food Act all food businesses must notify the appropriate enforcement agency before starting food handling operations. Your local council is usually the appropriate enforcement agency.
Before you notify and start operating your food business, it is best to contact the local council Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) to make sure you know what requirements your business needs to meet. EHOs may also discuss your business’ risk classification (see Priority Classification of Food Businesses) and will be able to advise you of any inspection fees.
All food businesses in South Australia are required to comply with food safety legislation including:
Under the Food Act 2001 a food business means a business, enterprise or activity (other than a primary food production business) that involves:
Regardless of whether the business, enterprise or activity concerned is of a commercial, charitable or community nature or whether it involves the handling or sale of food on one occasion only.
Put simply a food business is any business or charity that sells food. Examples of food businesses include cafés, caterers, churches, cinemas, food trucks, hotels, manufacturers, restaurants, service stations, supermarkets.
All food businesses, from major food manufacturers to a local church group that holds a one-off food fair, have defined responsibilities under the legislation to ensure they make and sell safe food.
Food businesses must, before starting food handling operations, notify the appropriate enforcement agency of their existence by lodging a completed Food Business Notification (FBN) form. In SA, the appropriate enforcement agency is the local council or local authority. Most councils will have a copy of the Food Business Notification form on their website. To find out which council your business is located in see LGA SA's SA Council Listing.
If you cannot locate your local councils Food Business Notification form or your food business is not within a council boundary you must lodge a completed Food Business Notification form to SA Health.
If a food business does not notify the appropriate enforcement agency before starting, penalties and/or expiation fees under Section 86 of the Food Act 2001 may be applied.
Maximum penalty:
Expiation fee:
In SA, food handling staff are not required to hold formal qualifications or attend a training course, however it is important (and a legal requirement) that food handlers have appropriate food safety and food hygiene skills and knowledge in line with the work they do.
For information on types of training and links to free training resources see the Skills and Knowledge for Food Handlers page, which includes a link to the free online food safety training program DoFoodSafely.
Under Section 7 of the Food Act 2001, primary food production refers to the growing, raising, cultivation, picking, harvesting, collection or catching of food and associated onsite activities, with the exception of any ‘substantial transformation of food’, direct sale of food to the public or activities regulated under the Primary Produce (Food Safety Schemes) Act and Primary Produce (Food Safety Schemes) Act 2004.
If your business activities are deemed primary food production, you are not required to notify your local council. However, there may be primary industries legislation that applies to your business where you may require accreditation. Visit the PIRSA - Food Safety web page for more information.
There are also some activities where a business may be captured under primary food production and food business activities. If your business conducts the following activities then you are captured as a food business and must notify the local council:
If you are unsure about your responsibilities please contact your local council or SA Health’s Food and Controlled Drugs Branch.