Food Premises Registration

Any food for sale must be made, stored, and sold by a registered business. This includes but is not limited to activities like cafés, restaurants, day care centres that provide food, supermarkets, bakeries, caterers, makers of preserves and jams, confectionary, olive oils, and any other items prepared for consumption as food.

The purpose of registration is to notify and record the existence of your food business with the local Council and Central Government (MPI). It also informs Council and MPI what risk-based measure your business is following in order to meet the requirements of the current Food Safety legislation, regulations, standards, and Council bylaws.

All food businesses must register under the Food Act 2014 unless covered by the Animal Products Act 1999 or the Wine Act 2003. Failure to register will result in your business trading illegally and enforcement action.

The Food Act 2014 introduces the new term “risk-based measure” to describe food safety processes such as National Programmes and Food Controls Plans.

A registration under the Food Act 2014, will be for one of the risk-based measures described above. In order to register your food business with Council, you must have the processes relevant for the appropriate “risk-based measure” ready to be operate in your premises.

Food Control Plans and National Programmes must be registered by either a local Council or MPI. The following form shows who the registration authority is for each type of food business. Refer to MPI Information for authorities that register food businesses.

Written plans that manage food safety matters on a day-to-day basis typically for higher risk food businesses. There are two types of food control plans; a Custom Food Control Plan written by the food business and registered with MPI or a Template Food Control Plan, a template provided by MPI and registered with Council.

Food safety rules that need to be followed and are typically for medium and low risk food businesses. There are three levels of National Programmes which cover different types of food businesses according to their risk (medium or low risk).

Registration Of Food Business Information Sheet
Application Form For Registration Under The Food Act 2014 (Single Site)
Application Form For Registration Under The Food Act 2014 (Multi-Site)

You will need to complete a Scope of Operations form to accompany your registration. The Scope of Operations records your business details and information about the types of food handling carried out by your business. You will need to have your scope filled out in order to complete your Registration.

Premises registrations are required to be renewed. This is a flat fee paid to Council (See Fees below). The time frame for renewal is usually every 12 months for FCP and 24 months for NP from the date of the last registration.

If you are applying for a National Programme (NP) registration, you can choose a MPI approved external verifier. A list of recognised verification agencies can be found on the MPI website www.mpi.govt.nz under “Public Register Recognitions”. The law requires Councils to verify businesses registered under the Template Food Control Plan. South Wairarapa District Council is unable to verify National Programmes.

New Food Business
New food businesses registered for the first time will need to have their Food Control Plan or National Programme verified within six (6) weeks of registration. Extensions may be granted with a valid reason e.g.: business has not started trading.

Existing Food Business
The verification booking shall be done depending on the previous verification frequency and outcome.

National Programs are verified by an External verifier. The appropriate registration authority (MPI or Council) will be notified of your verification outcome.

Multi-site Food Business
Multi-site means there is more than one address where food is prepared or traded, and you would like to register all sites under one application. If your business is operating as a multi-site, each of the sites need to be verified.

Food Control Plans are verified by Council. Contact the Environmental Health Officer(s) on 06 306 9611 or email health@swdc.govt.nz to arrange a verification.

If operating under a National Programme or operating under a Template Food Control Plan but operates outside South Wairarapa, or operating under a Custom Food Control Plan, you will need to find an external verifier. An external verifier can be found using the link below.

Public Register Recognitions
MPI Food Act Verifiers Mapping Application

Your verifier will come and assess your business against your Food Control Plan/National Programme. Please ensure records are available on site for the verifier. The day-to-day manager of your Food Control Plan/National Programme should be on site and prepared to discuss any topics as required by the verifier. The verification will cover your Processes, Records, Food Safety Management, Hygiene, Cleanliness, and Sanitation of your premises.

Following your verification, a report will be sent to you outlining any Corrective Actions Requirement(s) (CARs), Recommendation(s) (Areas for Improvement), and general feedback from your verifier. The report will state the Outcome of your Verification, your Verification Frequency going forward, and the agreed Close-out Date to complete and submit any evidence of requested Corrective Action(s).

For Template Food Control Plan businesses, part of the close-out process is the payment of the verification invoice. Your verification will not be closed out until this is paid. Failure to close-out your verification can result to an Enforcement Action.

Your Verification Outcome, Frequency and Corrective Actions Required are reported directly to MPI for their national database.

Premises who achieve two consecutive Acceptable verification outcomes will see a decrease in the verification frequency (longer time between verifications). Premises that receive an Unacceptable verification outcome will have an increase in their verification frequency.

Food Verification Frequency

Step 1: Download and / or Print your Plan or Programme
Download or print your FCP or NP, this document must be available on site and followed up. The FCP will need to be filled out and tailored to your business, you can remove any pages which are not applicable. However, you cannot alter any legal wordings of your Food Control Plan.

FCP only: Download the blank Food Business Records. These are the records that you will need to fill out regularly e.g.: temperature records.

Step 2: Find a Verifier to Check your Business
A new business will need to be verified within six weeks after registering. Extensions may be granted with a valid reason, such as the business has not started trading.

If you are operating under a NP, you will need to find an MPI external verifier. If you are waiting for NP external verification, you can submit to Council a letter of confirmation from your preferred MPI approved verifier.

Step 3: Register your Food Business(ES)
Food Control Plans and National Programmes must be registered by either a local Council or MPI.

It is possible to change aspects of your food business after you have initiated your FCP or NP and registered your food premises.

We will process your application once you have contacted the relevant teams, and you have sent us:

• your Food Registration Application
• the site plan(s)
• proposal(s)
• completed checklist(s)

For new businesses, once your application and design are approved, the Environmental Services Team would prefer to have your site and commercial kitchen visually pre-inspected and visited before the intended opening of the new business.