Classification of food premises

Page contents: Current classes of food premises | What will change? | Features of new classification system

Current classes of food premises

The Food Act 1984 currently adopts a preventative approach to food safety. Declared food premises must have a food safety program in place and a nominated food safety supervisor. For more information about this, read So you want to run a food business?

All premises currently fall into one of two classes:

• Class 1 high risk – are those handling and supplying high risk ready to eat food predominantly for vulnerable population groups (the elderly, children aged 5 years or less, hospital patients, and others whose immune systems are compromised).
• Class 2 medium risk – all other food premises are currently classified as medium risk.

The only food premises that do not currently need both a Food Safety Program and Food Safety Supervisor are those selling low risk pre-packaged food, such as carbonated beverages or sugar based confectionary. Current Class 2 premises at which food is sold at events to raise funds solely for community or charitable causes are exempt from the requirement to have a Food Safety Supervisor.

What will change?

From 1 July 2010 the Food Act will introduce a new classification system. It is expected that there will be four classes of food premises. The purpose of this is to allow regulation to be better matched to the level of food safety risk which each class of food premises needs to manage. It is envisaged that the new classes will be:

• Class 1 – for premises similar to current Class 1.
• Class 2 – for premises engaged in manufacture or handling of any unpackaged, potentially hazardous foods, such as food that requires temperature control.
• Class 3 – for premises handling low risk food (for example, baking bread) or wholesale of pre-packaged food, or selling pre-packaged, potentially hazardous food that requires temperature control. Also includes some community group food events.
• Class 4 – for premises selling shelf-stable, pre-packaged food or running low risk community food activities, such as sausage sizzles where this food is cooked and served immediately.

Features of new classification system

In summary, the changes will result in:

• a more practical classification system based on the degree of risk associated with the food handling activities of different kinds of business;
• regulation in proportion to risk - the lower the risk, the lesser the regulation necessary to ensure food is safe to eat;
• benefits for simple community and charitable food events;
• for many food businesses, more choice about what kind of food safety program will be used, greater consistency with existing quality assurance systems, and more options for food handler training.

For readers who would like a brief summary of the expected features of the new system:

For readers who would like a more detailed summary:

Proposed food regulatory system reforms table (54kb, pdf)

top of page