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Food Registration

Registration is required for any place of business involved with the handling and sale or exchange of food by means of a 'koha'

You require registration under the Food Act 2014 when you are selling food in any way, shape or form, except under certain circumstances when food is offered on stalls for charitable/cultural organisations. Online food sales must be registered to comply with the Act.

Requirements under the Food Act 2014

Everyone working in the food industry has a responsibility to make sure that the food we buy is safe and suitable to eat.

A central feature of the new Act is a sliding scale where businesses that are higher risk, from a food safety point of view, will operate under more stringent food safety requirements and checks than lower-risk food businesses.

The law recognises that each business is different for example a corner dairy operator who reheats meat pies won't be treated in the same way as the meat pie manufacturer.

The Act brings the following food safety measures:

  • Food Control Plans (FCPs) for higher-risk activities
  • National Programmes for lower-risk activities

To find out where your business fits, use the 'My Food Rules' tool on the MPI website.

Making a Start

Our advice is ensure you check out the feasibility and legalities of your proposal with the relevant Council departments:

  • Please contact us about your proposal. Our Customer Services Team can help in the first instance, and then may refer to:
    • Resource Consent Planner - for District Plan and RMA information about setting up a business at your chosen site
    • Building Control Officer - for information about new buildings or making renovations to an existing building, fire safety requirements etc.
    • Environmental Health Officer - for advice about food safety and registration, outdoor dining and the sale of alcohol.

When purchasing a new building or business, it is recommended that you obtain a Land Information Memorandum (LIM). This is a report on what the Council know about the land and buildings at your chosen site.

Please note, before a food registration certificate can be issued, you'll need to ensure you have obtained all of the necessary consents and approvals, e.g., Resource Consent (under the RMA), Certificate of Compliance, Code Compliance Certificate or Certificate of Public Use (under the Building Act).

You do not need to register if you are selling food:

  • To raise funds for a charity, cultural or community group (less that 20 times a year)
  • To provide members of sports clubs, social clubs or marae - where food is not the purpose of the event
  • Once in a calendar year at an event such as a local fair.

Apply for a Food Registration

Please complete the Registration Form and Scope of Operations below to register your food business.

Registration of a Food Business - Single Site
scope of operations

Prepare your Application

You have to register your food business with a registration authority. This can be with us or the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

The registration authority will depend on the food business location and the plan/programme it has been registered under.

Go to the Ministry for Primary Industries website and use the tool to find out which plan suits your business.

Food Control Plans

There are two types of food control plans.

Most businesses use template food control plans provided by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

National Programmes

Businesses that make or sell mid to lower-risk foods are more likely to register under a National Programme.

Scope of Operations

What does ‘Scope of Operations’ mean? The term ‘Scope of Operations’ is used to describe the activities of your food business and also includes:

  • the sector(s) a food business operates under the Food Act 2014
  • what products a food business makes and/or sells
  • how products are sourced and/or supplied
  • how products are processed, if applicable, and 
  • how products are sold. 
Why do I need to complete a ‘Scope of Operations’?

If you are operating a food business you need to tell Wairoa District Council exactly what your business does. One way to do this is by filling out the ‘Scope of Operations’ cards. You need to complete the ‘Scope of Operations’ before you register, make sure you include your completed ‘Scope of Operations’ cards with your application form.

Processing your Application

When your application to Register a Food Business and Scope of Operations forms are received, they will be lodged and forwarded to the Compliance and Licencing Manager for review.

If further information is required, you will be contacted.

On completion of the review, the Certificate of Registration will be issued on receipt of payment of the registration fee

Renew your Food Registration

It is your responsibility to ensure you renew your registration before it expires. You cannot renew an expired registration.

We will send you a renewal application form before your notice of registration expires - so it is important to let us know if your email or postal address changes.

If your registration expires, you may need to re-register by lodging a new application and paying the full registration fees. Re-registering your business may impact your verification frequency. 

Your renewal letter will advise on how you can pay to renew your registration.

 

Verifications

Which food businesses need verification?

All registered food business need to be checked (verified) by a recognised verification agency.

If you are exclusively operating in the Wairoa District, the Council is the only verifier you can select for Food Control Plans or National Programmes operating under a Food Control Plan:

For a National Programme which can't opt up to a Food Control Plan you will still need to register with the Council or MPI but you will need to organise a third party verifier - Find a food verifier on the MPI register

For a new business, the first verification will be carried within six weeks of registration. 

The subsequent verification will depend on the outcome of the previous verification.

One of our Environmental Health Officers will contact you to make an appointment to carry out the verification.

How much will a verification service cost?

You will be charged a set fee for a minimum of 2 hours, then charged in fifteen minute blocks*.  See our Fees and Charges page.

A full invoice will be sent to you after your verification is closed out and must be paid by the allocated due date.

*The size of your food business and the complexity of your process can affect how long your verification will take.

Food Act Fees

Licensing Fees and Charges approved for 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025.

All fees and charges are inclusive of GST (except as noted *).

Licencing Fee (incl GST)
 
Food Premises registered under the Food Act 2014 - Fees
Registration of Food Control Plan $380.00 
Registration of National Programmes & National Programmes operating under a Food Control Plan$380.00 
Renewal of Food Control Plan & National Programmes $250.00 
Renewal of National Programmes operating under a Food Control Plan$200.00 
Amendment to registration - amendment of Food Control Plan registration or National Programme.$200.00 
Verification/Audit - (includes up to two hours of verification activities) - including site visits and compliance checks with food plans. (Also covers any follow up verification site visits to check remedial actions, verification checks.) - Any time over and above (e.g. follow up work) is charged at $200 per hour$400.00 
Verification/Audit - Per hour for every subsequent hour over and above the two-hour minimum$200.00 
Compliance and monitoring (Per hour) - includes: - Compliance driven investigation resulting in issue of improvement notice by food safety officer - Application for review of issue of improvement notice - Monitoring of food safety and suitability $200.00 
Milage for Council Vehicle per km $1.60 
All other services for which a fee may be set under the Food Act (Per Hour)$200.00 
Food Control Plan$20.00 

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