Food
Councils Environmental Health Officers monitor and regulate commercial food preparation within the Shire. Unregulated food handling and storage is a potential risk to the public's health and safety, therefore regulations have been put in place for the safety and hygiene of food for all customers. If you are concerned about poor food handling or food borne illness, refer to the relevant section below for more information.
If you wish to establish a permanent or temporary food business, these premises may need to be licenced and/or approved by Council. For further information click on the Licencing and Starting a food business tabs below.
Activities that do not require a licence still carry an obligation to ensure that food for sale is safe and suitable. Food safety is also important at home with many cases of food borne illness resulting from poor food handling in the home. To enhance your knowledge of food safety and hygiene, you may wish to undertake the free online training available on the Food safety training tab or read the many fact sheets available on this page.
Who needs a licence?
If you wish to establish a fixed, mobile or temporary food business, you may require a Food Business licence from Council.
For further information about when a Food Business licence is required visit:
Activities that do not require a Licence still carry an obligation to ensure that food for sale is safe and suitable.
License application forms are available on Council’s Forms page.
Associated license fees are listed on Council’s Fees and Charges page.
Non-profit organisations
The requirement under the Food Act 2006 (the Act) for a non profit organisation to apply for a food business licence is determined by the following situations:
- Selling meals prepared by organisation at a particular place on 12 or more occasions and/or
- Manufacturing and packaging food for sale at a different location e.g. preparing food at main kitchen and selling at markets at a later date.
The term meal is defined under the Act as food that:
- Is, or intended to be, eaten by a person sitting at a table, or a fixed structure used as a table, with cutlery, and
- Is of adequate substance as to be ordinarily accepted as a meal.
If neither of the above situations apply, the non-profit organisation will not require a food business licence. However, non profit organisations which are not required to hold a food business licence are still obligated to comply with the Act and the Food Safety Standards to ensure that they provide safe and suitable food.
Council offers a free online training program on their website. I'm Alert training is simple to use and can assist volunteers with gaining the necessary skills and knowledge to ensure safe food. Click on the online training tab for more information.
NOTE: If gas appliances are required for an event, ensure that adequate ventilation has been allowed. This may mean only using two sides rather than three on any temporary structure. A checklist is provided below.
Useful links:
Starting a food business
There are a number of matters to consider when starting a food business in addition to licensing. The fact sheets below provide an overview of these matters.
Starting a home based food business
Food safety training
Online food safety training
All food businesses have obligations to ensure staff have appropriate skills and knowledge. The Banana Shire is assisting food businesses to meet these obligations by providing free access to online training.
Two free online food safety training options are listed below which will assist food handlers in developing the required skills and knowledge to ensure food is handled in a safe and hygienic manner.
- This program is easy to follow, includes a presentation as well as interactive quizzes. A training acknowledgement form can be printed upon completion and be kept as part of your staff records.
- This program is provided by the Department of Health Victoria and supported by Queensland Health. It involves reading through various topics and completing an assessment quiz. On completion a certificate is awarded.
Food Safety Supervisors
Please note that the above online training does not meet the training requirements for a food safety supervisor.
Every licensed food business is required to have a readily-available food safety supervisor to add an on-site level of protection for day-to-day food safety.
Please refer to the Food Safety Supervisor Fact Sheet or visit https://www.qld.gov.au/health/staying-healthy/food-pantry/starting-a-food-business/skills-and-knowledge/food-safety-supervisors for further details about food safety supervisor training requirements.
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If you have a concern about food handling or food borne illness
Local government shares responsibility for food safety with various Queensland Government agencies. You may wish to consult the fact sheet Making a complaint about a food or food business to determine who is responsible for your particular issue.
If the responsible agency is local government, or if you are unsure, refer to the information on Food Safety for consumers website or contact Council's Environmental Health Officers on (07) 4992 9500.
More information about food borne illness is available on the Queensland Health The Food Pantry website.