Food Business Classifications

Council is required to 'risk classify' all food premises. The classifications will be rated as High, Medium, or Low Risk.

Details of the categories are as below:

Low Risk

Businesses unlikely to cause a food borne illness outbreak are considered ‘low risk’. Examples include:

businesses that only handle pre-packaged or non-potentially hazardous foods (e.g. some service stations, newsagents, bars and liquor stores)
vehicles used to transport food between retail business premises or from a retail premises to a customer (e.g. takeaway delivery vehicle, or vehicle used to move food between a preparation kitchen or market stall)
childcare (not preparing potentially hazardous food (e.g. children bring lunch from home)
wine tasting/cheese and biscuits.

Medium Risk

All hospitality-type retail food premises are considered ‘medium risk’ and include:

High Risk

Food premises that conduct any of the following activities are categorised as ‘high-risk’ and include:

a business that prepares or supplies food to vulnerable populations (e.g. childcare facility that prepares food on site for children including home based childcare preparing potentially hazardous food)
a business that undertakes high risk processes and activities (e.g. raw egg products, smoking meats, sous vide)
large scale operations (e.g. function centre/large restaurant that employs more than 10 full time equivalent food handlers).

*Potentially Hazardous Foods include:

raw and cooked meat, or foods containing meat such as casseroles, curries and lasagne
dairy products such as milk, custard and dairy‐based desserts
seafood (excluding live seafood)
processed or cut fruits and vegetables, such as salads
cooked rice and pasta
foods containing egg, beans, nuts or other protein‐rich food such as quiche and soy products
foods that contain any of the above foods including sandwiches and rolls.