When working in an industry that involves serving or producing food, it is important to know what is expected of you when it comes to the law. Failure to uphold these standards has the potential financially impact your business.
Below is a summary of key sections of the Food Act 1984 (Vic) (the Act) that you need to know if you are running or working in a food-related business in the state of Victoria.
If you are wanting to know more about your rights and obligations under the Act, contact a business lawyer.
What is the Food Act 1984 (Vic)?
The purpose of the Act is to ensure that food for sale is both safe and suitable for human consumption. The Act also prohibits any misleading conduct in connection with the sale of food and gives legal effect to the Food Standards Code (the Code).
The Act details the offences relating to food, orders put against a business, outlines food safety programs, supervisors and lists the requirements to be able to register your food premises.
Offences relating to food
The Act outlines many offences that relate to food that you as a business owner should be aware of, including but not limited to:
- Handling or selling unsafe or unsuitable food;
- Falsely describing the food for sale or misleading customers;
- Not complying with the Code; or
- Not displaying your proprietor’s name on your food premises.
There are also defences that are available if you available if you have been found to have committed an offence, including but not limited to:
- If you had taken all reasonable precautions and exercised due diligence to avoid the offence;
- Exported food to another country where the food is not in breach of their law;
- Taken steps to destroy or dispose of the food rendering that food unsafe or unsuitable; or
- Reasonably believing that the equipment being sold would not render the food unsafe.
Orders made against your business
If your food premises is found to be in unclean or in a state of disrepair, the Act confers the power to relevant authorities to:
- Order your food premises to be put into a clean and sanitised state;
- Dictate specialised steps to ensure that food is prepared in a safe manner;
- Stop the production and trading of food until safe food handling practices are followed; and to
- Attach a copy of the order onto your premises, or disseminate the order by newspaper or any other means, to notify the public.
If an order is made against your premises, you have the right to appeal the action to the Magistrates’ Court within 21 days after the appeal is made.
Food Safety Programs and Supervisors
In Victoria, every food business must have in place food safety programs and food safety supervisors (FSS) to ensure that safe food handling practices are complied with. This is achieved with the food safety programs identifying potential risks that could lead to unsafe or unsuitable food and taking corrective action to minimise the hazard, and the FSS making sure these programs are adhered to by all staff.
Find out more about food safety programs and supervisors, along with other food handling requirements.
Registration of your food business
When starting up your restaurant, cafe or bar, it is important to register your food premises with your local council. Upon registering or notifying your local council of your intention to operate the food premises, it is assumed by law that you are in compliance with the Code.
As a proprietor of a food business, it is important that you are aware of all relevant legislation for your business and if you are adhering to the requirements set forth by local, state and federal government. To ensure your compliance or if you need any further assistance relating to running a food premises, you should contact a business lawyer.
Need help? Contact a LawPath consultant on 1800 LAWPATH to learn more about customising legal documents, obtaining a fixed-fee quote from our network of 600+ expert lawyers or to get answers to your legal questions.
Get a fixed-fee quote from Australia's largest lawyer marketplace.
