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What’s the difference between licensing and notification in NSW?
What’s the difference between licensing and notification in NSW?

Learn more about the difference between licensing and notification for NSW food businesses

Updated over a week ago

Food businesses in NSW must either hold a licence from the NSW Food Authority or notify their business details to the relevant body.

Licensing

Certain producers and food handling businesses must hold a Food Authority licence to operate in NSW under the NSW Food Regulation 2015. These include:

  • egg producers (except small farms) and facilities

  • dairy producers, factories, stores and vendors

  • meat handling businesses - includes retail butchers

  • seafood handlers and wholesalers (excl. shellfish)

  • shellfish businesses that cultivate, harvest or depurate

  • plant product producers

  • food service to vulnerable persons in hospitals and aged care facilities

  • businesses that transport any of the foods above.

Notification

All retail food businesses must notify their local council before they begin to trade. These include:

  • restaurants, cafés and takeaways

  • mobile food outlets

  • food stall holders at regular, temporary or one-off events

  • grocery stores and supermarkets

  • businesses which sell food as a smaller part of their business such as chemists, cinemas, corner stores, petrol stations and sporting facilities

  • childcare providers that provide food

  • school canteens

  • importers of food or ingredients that retail the product from their business premises

  • seafood retailers (unless they hold a Food Authority licence).

Businesses that need to notify to the Food Authority include:

  • home-based food businesses that do not retail from the premises

  • food manufacturers or wholesalers that do not hold a Food Authority licence

  • importers that do not retail their product from their premises

  • small egg farms

  • small poultry meat farms

  • businesses that transport live poultry

  • retail food businesses in areas not governed by a local council.

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