Notify the Food Authority or local council of a food business

If your business is going to sell food, you must notify either your local council or the NSW Food Authority before you start.

You do not need to notify if your business:

• has a Food Authority licence
• is a not-for-profit community or fundraising event selling food that is not potentially hazardous
• is a primary production food business (that is not a small egg or poultry farm).

If you're unsure of the notification requirements for your business, visit the NSW Food Authority website.

Notify local council

You need to notify your local council if your business is a:

• café, restaurant or takeaway
• childcare providing food
• school canteen
• grocery store or supermarket
• mobile food outlet
• food stall holder at a regular, temporary or one-off event
• manufacturer, distributer, importer or caterer that sells direct to the final consumer
• seafood retailer.

Note: If you have already applied to your local council for services, permits and approvals, you do not need to notify.

Find your local council

Notify NSW Food Authority

You need to notify the NSW Food Authority if your business is in an area not governed by a local council, or is a:

• home-based food business that does not sell directly to consumers
• food manufacturer or wholesaler 
• business that imports food or food ingredients and you do not sell directly to consumers
• small egg farm (fewer than 20 dozen eggs a week)
• small poultry meat farm (fewer than 100 birds at a time)
• transporter of live poultry
• water-based food service.

Notify the NSW Food Authority