Food premises
General information
The Food Act 2014 (The Act) requires all businesses selling food to register, unless they fit into a small group of exemptions.
The Act is a risk-based system of food safety controls.
Find out the food safety rules you need to follow when making or selling food.
Which risk-based measure is your business?
Your business will be one of the following:
- Template Food Control Plan
- People who manufacture and prepare food.
- National Programme 3
- E.g. a dairy that scoops ice cream and bags lollies.
- National Programme 2
- E.g. a manufacturer of low-risk food (ice, sauces, spreads).
- National Programme 1
- E.g. coffee carts.
- Custom Food Control Plan
- You must register with Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), not Council.
All food sold or traded must be safe and suitable.
Please ensure your premises meets building and planning requirements before lodging your food registration application form.
Step 1. Apply
Complete the application form and scope of operations
Scope of Operation – Please only complete the Scope of Operations for the type of business you are operating:
- Scope of Operations for NP1 Businesses
- Scope of Operations for NP2 Businesses
- Scope of Operations for NP3 Businesses
- Scope of Operations for Template Food Control Plan Businesses
Payment of the application fee must accompany your application.
The application fees are as follows:
- Food Control Plan $317.00
- National Programme $256.00
Step 2. Your Registration Certificate
Once your application has been approved we will issue a Registration Certificate for your food business. This will be sent to you via email or post.
Step 3. Initial Verification
Within six weeks of registering your food business, an initial verification needs to be undertaken. If you have nominated Council as your verifier, we will contact you to arrange a suitable date to carry out the initial verification. If you have an independent verifier, please liaise with them for the initial verification.
To ensure food safety in the Far North District is of a high standard, Councils Food Verification Agency (FVA) is committed to providing high quality food verification services to customers with integrity, manaakitanga and professionalism and in accordance with the Food Act 2014; Food Regulations 2015 and any other relevant legislation. Here is a link to the Councils FVA “Quality Assurance Policy”.
After the verification has taken place you will be sent an invoice for the verification.
The fee for verification is as follows:
- Food Control Plan $555.00
- National Programme $396.00
National Programme businesses may choose either an independent verifier or Council's verifier to carry out an audit. Either way, you still need to register.
If you use an independent verifier, please ensure you provide a copy of your verification report.
Step 4. Registration Renewal
Food Control Plans are renewed annually, National Programmes are renewed every two years. We will send you an invoice to renew your registration which must be paid before your registration expiry date. Should your registration lapse, you will be required to re-register.
The fee for renewal is as follows:
- Food Control Plan $238.00
- National Programme $146.00
You will receive your renewed Registration Certificate once payment has been received.
Step 5. Future verifications
You can find out the due date for the next verification from your verifier or your verification report. You will be invoiced once the verification has been completed.
Step 6. Re-visits
If you require a re-visit, there may be extra fees. Fees include travel time and administration costs.
If your verifier finds problems, you will be verified more frequently.
Far North District Council
Attention: Environmental Health Services
Private Bag 752
Kaikohe 0440
Your application can be dropped off to any Council Office or Service Centre.
Your application can be sent via email to ask.us@fndc.govt.nz .
Food Control Plan
Before you start you will need:
- Completed Scope of Operations form.
- Copy of Company Extract (if applying in a company name).
- Site Plan of the business location.
- Floor Plan of the building.
NOTE: Once your application is submitted you will receive an invoice for payment.
Step 2.National Programme
Before you start you will need:
- Completed Scope of Operations form.
- Copy of Company Extract (if applying in a company name).
- Site Plan of the business location.
- Floor Plan of the building.
- Copy of a confirmation letter from the verifying agency (if not the Far North District Council).
NOTE: Once your application is submitted you will receive an invoice for payment.
Applications are processed within 21 working days provided the application fee has been paid and all required information has been submitted alongside the application form. Please ensure you submit all required information to avoid delay.
Submit application
- Complete the application form in full
- Submit all required documentation alongside the application form
- Pay the application fee
Once we receive your application, we will send you an acknowledgement email confirming that we have received it.
Checked for completeness
We will review your application for completeness. If there is any information missing, we will email you requesting the information within five working days. Your application be placed on hold until the information is received. If the information is not provided within five working days, your application may lapse, and a new application would be required.
Technical check
Once all required information is received, your application will be reviewed by an Environmental Health Officer.
Decision
The Environmental Health Officer will decide if your application is approved, refused, or further information is required.
- Approved: You will receive a Notice of Registration via email. You may now begin operating. Six weeks after your opening date, a verification of your business will need to take place.
- Refused: You will receive a letter outlining the reasons for the decision. You will be given a specific timeframe to make any submissions against the decision.
- Further information required: You will receive a letter requesting further information. Your application will be placed on hold until the information is received. If the information is not provided within five working days, your application may lapse, and a new application would be required.
If you are selling food to raise funds, or for charity, it must be safe and suitable. That means, it must be safe to eat - no one should get sick from eating your food.
Under the Act:
You don't have to register if you are selling food:
- To raise funds for charity, cultural or community groups less than 20 times per year provided by members of sports clubs, social clubs or maraes - where food is not the purpose of the event
- Once in a calendar year at an event such as a local fair.
You do have to register if you are:
- Fundraising more than 20 times per year
- Catering events at clubs, or selling food at club bars or restaurants
- Bartering or exchanging food commercially selling food commercially at fairs, markets, or community events more than once per year.
For more Information regarding a fundraising notification:
Stalls and mobile businesses | Far North District Council
If you are making any structural changes to the existing building, you may require a Building Consent.
Please discuss this with a Building Officer by calling free phone 0800 920 029.
If you are not the property owner, you must get written consent from the person who owns the property. They must confirm that they have given permission for you to operate a food business from this premises.
If you have brought food in the Far North District and:
- You have found something in your food that should not be there.
- You believe it has made you sick.
- You believe it caused you to have an allergic reaction.
You can call us on 0800 920 029 to discuss your experience and make a complaint. Alternatively, you can contact the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) MPI Making a Food Complaint .
If you plan on making changes to your food business registration please notify Council by completing the "Notification of Significant Amendment Form" and emailing this to ask.us@fndc.govt.nz .
If your food business is about to be verified, here is what you should expect at your verification.
The Food Act 2014 encourages businesses to take responsibility for the food safety in their business. Verifiers play a role in educating businesses about what this means. If you have a food business, it must be verified to make sure the food you sell is safe to eat.
What can I expect at a verification?
The verifier will ask you a range of questions about your food business. These questions are used to better understand your business. Notes may be taken during the verification process, and these notes will form the basis for a verification report. You can expect the verifier to be professional and courteous.
What will be checked during a verification?
Verifiers will check a range of topics depending on what a business is doing and what plan or programme they are operating to. There are some topics that need to be checked at every verification and others that will be checked over successive verifications. See Verification Topics for more information on the mandatory topics, top five topics for each sector, the purpose of each topic, and what verifiers will check.
For cafes and restaurants, the following top five food safety factors have been identified to help you minimise risk. Your verifier will focus on:
- Get the right training – know how to keep food safe.
- Clean and sanitise – to stop germs spreading.
- Cook and store food at the right temperature.
- Keep cooked, raw and allergen food separate.
- Wash your hands properly.
A verifier will be interested in the ‘Show’ and 'Know' sections of your Food Control Plan. They are looking for 'safe and suitable food' rather than just compliance. The verifier is likely to:
- Check documentation - check you are complying with the relevant parts of the FCP for your business. e.g. if you cook poultry, you cook it according to the Yellow - Making + Cooking sections.
- Check you are following procedures and keeping records.
- Check that you are doing what you say you are doing. They may do this by talking to your staff to make sure they understand how things should be done or by observing what people actually do.
- Check equipment and the environment, especially cleaning, where these are important for the safety and suitability of the food.
- If you are on a private water supply (water tank or bore), it is important you are able to provide the verifier with a recent water sample report to confirm that your water supply is potable. The verifier will ask to see this during the verification.
How much time is required for a verification?
Please set aside at least two hours for the verification. Some verifications may take longer than two hours. The verification involves both a desktop review of your food business and a physical site visit to your business. Please ensure your day-to-day manager and staff are available on the day of the verification.
What do staff need to know?
Your verifier may ask your staff questions about the food safety procedures they follow (Know and Do). It is important to make sure staff are prepared for the verification as much as you are. Staff could be expected to:
- Explain Allergens in the menu.
- Show cleaning methods.
- Explain their cooking methods, how they check temperatures etc. and why they are doing it.
What happens after the verification?
Once your verification is complete, the verifier will let you know next steps. You will receive the formal verification report within 10 working days of the verification.
How often is verification needed?
This depends on the complexity of your food business, the types of food you sell, and how well you manage food safety. Verification of a food control plan may be needed as often as every 3 months, or just once every 18 months, while verification of a national programme can range from every 2-3 years to only once at the beginning.
The verification report will confirm the next verification date, so you can update your calendar accordingly. This way you can monitor how long you have got until your next verification and ensure you are fully prepared.