Food safety

Persons preparing or handling food for sale to the public are legally required to demonstrate adequate skills and knowledge. North Regional Tafe is a registered training organisation in Karratha that delivers training in food handling. Additionally, I'm Alert is a free online tutorial on basic food safety. 

Food businesses are legally required to register with the appropriate agency before food is stored, handled, prepared or sold.

The following steps are involved to register a food business:

• Complete and return an application form including plans (if necessary)
• An Environmental Health Officer will contact you to arrange assessment of the premises and operations against requirements under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code

Upon completion of items identified during inspection and the issue of an invoice for fees, the City will issue a certificate of registration as a food business.
 

Food manufacturing businesses need to submit additional documentation as outlined on the Department of Health website and includes the following information:

• Recipes including quantities of ingredients
• Method outlining the cooking steps including temperature and times
• Information on:
  • food storage
  • cleaning procedures
  • product shelf-life determination (based on research or analysis by a NATA accredited laboratory)
  • product labelling
  • food recall procedures
  • Starting a food manufacturing business (health.wa.gov.au)

It should be noted that food manufacturing businesses applying to operate as a home occupation are limited to producing low risk foods as outlined in the City's Fact Sheet 'Preparing Food at Home for Sale'. 

Sausage sizzles operated by charitable organisations or community groups are not required to register as a food business, but are required to notify the local government authority. The following steps are involved to notify us of a food business:

• Complete and return an application form 
• An environmental health officer will contact you to determine whether you meet requirements for exemption and provide food safety information

Most importantly all food handlers must have a basic understanding of food safety and stall operations need to comply with the Food Safety Standards as demonstrated in the pictorial diagram on pages 202-3 of Safe Food Australia - A Guide to the Food Safety Standards.
 

Stallholders and traders must obtain a permit under the City's Activities in Thoroughfares and Public Places and Trading Local Law 2017 and comply with requirements under the Stallholder and Street Trading Policy.

The following steps are involved to obtain a permit to trade:

• Complete and return application form including certificate of currency for public liability insurance
• An environmental health officer will contact you

Upon completion of items identified during inspection and the issue of an invoice for fees, the City will issue a certificate of registration.