Once you know where your food business fits under the Food Act 2014 and you are almost ready to start operating, submit your application for registration to Council, along with the appropriate scope of operations.
The same applies if you are taking over an existing food business, as the registration details need to be changed to your name or the name of your company and reflect any changes to the way you intend to operate that maybe different to the previous owner.
Allow around one week for your registration to be processed.
Your application must also include -
- Certificate of incorporation if you are a company.
- Plan of the food business showing all the areas where food will be made and stored.
- Signed national programme contract if you are engaging the Council to be your verifier or if you're employing a third-party verifier, confirmation in writing that they have agreed to undertake your verification.
- Fee
Once your business is registered Council's Environmental Health Officer (or if you have engaged a third-party verifier) will contact you to arrange an appointment to undertake a verification of your food business operation. The timing of this is generally 6 - 8 weeks after you have begun operating and there is a separate fee charged for this.
Renewing your food business registration before it expires
Council will send out registration renewal expiry reminders about one month before the expiry date, however it's ultimately the business operator's responsibility to ensure the registration is renewed. The Food Act 2014 makes it an offence to operate any food business without a current registration. This carries an Infringement fine of $450.
Please make sure you advise Council of any change to your contact details or to your scope of operations.
Contact
You can lodge your completed application at one of our customer service centres or email it to food@codc.govt.nz
If you would like to speak to an Environmental Health Officer about your application, phone 03 440 0056 to make an appointment.
