Our Environmental Health Officers regulate food businesses in Clarence to make sure food is safe to consume.
In Tasmania, all food businesses selling food must be registered with the relevant Local Government Authority. In Clarence, this means food businesses must be registered with us.
Register or renew a food business
To register or renew a food business, you must notify council by completing the Online Registration or Renewal form.
Once we receive your form, our environmental health team will assess it and contact you.
You must have a Certificate of Registration for a food business from us before you can commence selling food. Registration of food businesses expire on 30 June each year – a renewal form will be sent to you before this date.
Temporary food stalls
Anyone selling food at a temporary food stall must register with us. To register your temporary food stall, complete and return the Online Registration or Renewal form.
The form includes information about minimum food handling requirements which you are obliged to follow. A fee will be required before the permit is issued. A half fee is applicable for voluntary and not-for-profit organisations.
Mobile food businesses
At a council meeting on 23 November 2020, Clarence City Council unanimously approved a Mobile Food Business in Public Places Policy which allowed the operation of mobile food businesses on public land on a 12-month trial basis.
The trial has now concluded, and the policy is under review. Please email ecodev@ccc.tas.gov.au for further information.
To register your mobile food business, complete and return this online form.
Food business construction and renovation
If you are setting up a new food business you may need approval from various council departments including planning, building, plumbing and/or environmental health. Environmental health services are required to assess and approve all plans for new food premises and alterations or extensions of existing food premises.
We recommend that owners, architects and builders contact our environmental health team on 03 6217 9570 in the initial stages of any proposal so we can discuss requirements of the relevant legislation with you. Doing so may save time and money at a later stage of the approval process.
Food safety
From December 2023, an extension of the Food Standards Code becomes enforceable for all Australian food businesses that handle food. Generally this includes: caterers, restaurants, cafes, takeaway shops, pubs, supermarkets and delis, bakeries, food vans, and other facilities serving food. The only exemption to these new food safety management tool requirements is for fundraising events.
These food businesses will be required to ensure food handlers have adequate food safety skills, and they will need to appoint a certified Food Safety Supervisor (FSS). Some food businesses will have a third requirement to keep records of Critical Food Safety Controls. Read more about this on the Department of Health – Food Safety Management Tools website.
Compliance will be monitored by Clarence City Council’s Environmental Health Officers during routine food safety inspections.
Food Safety training
Food businesses must ensure all food handlers have the appropriate skills and knowledge before they start handling high-risk foods.
This can be achieved by completing a food safety training course like DoFoodSafely which is available for free online and in multiple languages. This food handler course is not a substitute for an accredited Food Safety Supervisor training course.
Food Safety Supervisor
Food businesses must appoint a certified Food Safety Supervisor (FSS) before the business starts handling high-risk foods. The FSS must be reasonably available to advise and supervise each food handler, and they should be involved in the day-day food handling operations of the food business. For this reason, some businesses may choose to have multiple FSSs as they can supervise alternative shifts, and they are still compliant if one of their FSS leaves the business.
FSS training is available through Registered Training Organisations that teach one of the following courses:
- Food Safety Supervision Skill Set SITSS00069
- Handle food safely in a retail environment SIRRFSA001,
- Food Safety Supervision Skill Set – for community services and health industries HLTSS00061.
More information can be found on the Department of Health – Food Safety Management Tools website.
Food Safety management records
Food businesses that process unpackaged, ready-to-eat, and potentially hazardous food have the third requirement to keep records of Critical Food Safety Controls. This is not requirement for businesses that do not make food, or their only processing is slicing, weighing, repacking, reheating or hot holding the food.
This third food safety management tool requires businesses to maintain records or demonstrate through other suitable means to authorized officers that specific requirements in Standard 3.2.2 are being met. These requirements are for safely receiving, storing, processing, displaying, and transporting potentially hazardous food, and for cleaning and sanitizing. The food business must keep these records for at least 3 months.
For more information and record keeping template examples, please search the Food Standards Australia website.
Department of Health
Public and Environmental Health Services at the Department of Health help ensure food made, sold or consumed in Tasmania is safe by regulating and monitoring food safety with local councils and other government departments. They also develop, implement and advise on food safety policy and legislation, and coordinate food incidents such as recalls and outbreaks of food borne disease.
For more information on food safety for consumers, food businesses and auditors, as well as links to other related sites, visit the Department of Health website.
Templates
Visit Food Standards Australia New Zealand for nationally recognised examples of templates that you can utilise within your business. The templates include supplier details, food receipt, cooling food, temperature record sheet, cleaning and sanitising procedure and cleaning and sanitising record sheets. If you have difficulty accessing the templates, please contact our Environmental Health team for assistance.