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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 9 months 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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