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Before you start a mobile or temporary food business
Temporary and mobile food premises
Under the Food Act 1984, to operate a temporary or mobile food premises at events such as festivals, markets, exhibitions, stalls, fetes, you must:
- register or notify your food business on Foodtrader
- lodge a statement of trade through Foodtrader with any council where you will be operating
You must register or notify your temporary food business, regardless of whether it is for profit, not-for-profit or a charity organisation. Whether you need to register or notify a council will depend on the classification of your food business.
Common examples of temporary food premises
Some common examples include:
- stalls at a market or festival
- tents or marquees
- sausage sizzles
- community group fundraising events where food is sold
If you are unsure if your temporary food premises requires registration from Council, please contact us.
Common examples of mobile food premises
Some common examples include:
- food trucks
- coffee vans
- water carts
If you are unsure if your temporary food premises requires registration from Council, please contact us.
Register with Foodtrader
Foodtrader is an online system that lets you register your temporary and mobile food premises with Victorian councils. You can use Foodtrader to:
- register or notify Victorian councils of your new temporary or mobile food premises
- pay any applicable registration fees for your temporary or mobile food premises online
- lodge a Statement of Trade with any Victorian council you wish to do business in
- manage your registration, payments and renewals online
Food business classes
In Victoria, all food businesses are classified into 5 classes. This is based on the highest level of risk the business's food handling activities pose. Foodtrader will automatically identify what classification your temporary or mobile food business falls under.
Depending on the class your food business falls under, you may need:
- to pay different fees with your registration application
- a food safety program and/or food safety supervisor
Assessing your application to register
After you have lodged your application with Foodtrader, we will receive it electronically and assess it. Depending on your application, we may contact you for more information or to conduct an assessment of your business.
Please allow up to 21 days for us to process your application.
Doing business on Council land
If you plan to operate your mobile or temporary food premises on council land, you may need to apply for a street trading permit.
You will need to apply for a street trading permit if:
- you plan to trade or place a sign on a footpath
- conduct a market or car boot sale
- you plan to trade on a council road
Operational requirements - temporary food business
If you want to run a temporary food business in the City of Casey, you need to follow the operational requirements that apply to temporary food businesses. See: Guidelines for Operating a Temporary Food Business.