This ensures that food is prepared in a clean environment and using quality products, preventing any risk to public health from contamination, poor hygiene, poor preparation, and unsanitary storage and serving.
There are separate permits required for food manufacturing, restaurants and cafes, takeaways, and temporary food stalls. Application forms can be completed by downloading a hard copy. Select the application you are interested in from the options below.
Find out about the Food Act 2014 at mpi.govt.nz
OR
Please phone Council on 527 2169 and ask to speak to the Environmental Health Officer.
Individuals who wish to trade in food on a temporary basis can do so once per year (as stipulated in the Schedule 3 Part 3 of the Food Act 2014. This means anyone can operate a food stall once per year and is exempt from being registered.
In order to trade in food once per year a Notification of Temporary Food Stall(PDF, 746KB) must be completed and returned to Council.
Please note we do not issue registration certificates for temporary food stalls and there is no fee to be paid if you are trading in food for fundraising or charitable purposes.
With every home kitchen being unique as well as the type of food that will be produced, the type of household and the understanding and experience of the operator, it is important that Council is provided with as much information as possible about what you propose to do, so that we can give you the best and most appropriate advice.
Home Kitchen Requirements – Guidance and Checklist(PDF, 721KB)
Once you have made contact with all relevant Council teams and before you make an application to register a food business from home you will need to provide the following to Council:
- Site plan detailing the physical boundaries of the shared commercial place and any other areas that will be used for “food for sale” – an example plan is included in Appendix A and a blank page for your plan can be found in Appendix B
- Written proposal covering the following topics:
- Reason for the business
- The types of food to be produced
- How much food is to be produced weekly/monthly
- Whether any food will be transported or labelled
- Will food be transported
- Where will food be sold
- The training/qualifications/experience of staff
- Whether any staff are to be employed
- How goods will be separated between domestic and commercial use, including during preparation and storage
- What are the businesses work patterns and how do these keep them separate from household activities
- How the business proposes to operate when there are sick family members at home
- How will access to the kitchen by children, pets, visitors be controlled
- Home Kitchen – Commercial Food Checklist
- A completed home kitchen – commercial food checklist
- A photograph of your kitchen – either attached with the above information or sent electronically
The above requirements are included in the guidance document above. Once we receive your site plan, proposal, completed checklist and photograph of your kitchen an Environmental Health Officer will make contact with you to meet you on site at your home to approve your domestic (home) kitchen.
Depending on what food you make you will need to either operate under a template Food Control Plan or National Programme. For more information about the template Food Control Plans or National Programmes you can either view the Food Act 2014 or visit the Ministry for Primary Industries Website.
Whether you are operating under a Food Control Plan or National Programme you will need to complete an application form and Scope of Operations.
Application form for National Programme(PDF, 881KB)
Application form for Food Control Plan(PDF, 794KB)
Significant Amendment(PDF, 113KB)
Scope of Operations(PDF, 500KB)
With your application you must include:
- A site plan
- Company Certificate (if you are a registered company)
- Business proposal
- Scope of operations
- Letter from Verifier (for National Programmes only) or if being verified by another council
Under the new Food Act, Notices of Registration are non-transferable. If you want to take over an existing food business you will need to complete a NEW Application for registration. Refer to Registering a food business above.
Please bring your completed application form to Upper Hutt City Council for processing, please note the application fee will need to be paid on application.
You will then receive a Notice of Registration (NOR) in the post and you will be visited by an Environmental Health Officer who will carry out an on site Verification.
You will be invoiced for the verification fee and you will also be invoiced annually for Food Control Plans and every two years for National Programmes.