Food Safety and Licensing

The Queensland Government has recently announced that the ‘Check-in QLD’ app will be mandatory for all businesses in the hospitality sector providing dining-in (does not apply to businesses providing takeaway and home delivery only) to collect patron contact information as of Saturday 1 May 2021.

The ‘Check-in QLD’ app is free to download and was designed to meet all the requirements for collecting, storing, maintaining and retrieving contact information for contact tracing purposes.

Contact data collected by the App is stored by the Queensland Government in compliance with the Information Privacy Act 2009 and is able to be readily accessed by health officials should this information be required for contact tracing purposes.

Businesses must register to use the ‘Check-in QLD’ app by completing the registration form on the Queensland Government website at https://www.covid19.qld.gov.au/check-in-qld/check-in-qld-registration-form.  Upon completion of registration, you will be provided with a unique QR registration code and welcome pack to assist you in implementing the app at your business.

It is recommended that businesses register to use the app as soon as possible as processing of your registration may take up to three business days and this timeframe may be extended where an influx of registrations occurs closer to the date the mandate comes into effect, being 1 May 2021.

Register and download

For further information, frequently asked questions, to register your business, or download apps, click the links below:

CHECK-IN QLD REGISTRATION     DOWNLOAD - APPLE   DOWNLOAD - GOOGLE

Should you require further information or assistance, please contact Queensland Health on 134 COVID (134 268) or Council’s COVID Support Team on 1300 79 49 29 or by emailing HelpdeskCOVID@frasercoast.qld.gov.au.

Every licensed food business is required to have a food safety supervisor (PDF). 

New food businesses are required to notify Council within 30 days of the issue of their licence.

A food safety supervisor is required to take a lead role in supervising food safety in the licensed food business. Apart from holding the required competencies, they must:

• have the ability to supervise food handling practices in the food business
• be reasonably available at all times the food business is operating
• have the authority to supervise and give instructions to food handlers

A food safety supervisor must have a statement of attainment issued by a Registered Training Organisation or have demonstrated to an RTO that they have the prior skills, experience or training to meet these competencies.

If you coordinating or participating in one of the region's temporary entertainment events; familiarise yourself with the Food Vendor Licensing and Public Health Guideline for Events.

Under the Food Act 2006, prescribed food businesses are required to hold an accredited Food Safety Program to ensure food safety risks are effectively identified and controlled for the production of safe and suitable food.

Generally prescribed food businesses requiring an accredited Food Safety Program are those preparing and/or serving potentially hazardous food to vulnerable population groups (i.e. children under the age of 6, the elderly, immunocompromised persons etc.). And those providing  on-site and/or off-site catering under the Food Act 2006.

The Food Regulation 2016 prescribes the following food businesses as businesses requiring an accredited Food Safety Program under the Act:

• Aged care facilities
• Childcare facilities
• Private hospitals
• Delivered meals organisations catering for vulnerable population groups
• Caterers (as defined under the Act)

Further information on whether or not your food business requires an accredited Food Safety Program is available here.

To apply for an accredited Food Safety Program, please complete the Application for accreditation or amendment of a food safety program form and submit all supporting documentation with this completed application to Council for assessment.

Information on how to engage an approved Food Safety Program Auditor is available here 

All licensed food businesses (excluding Short Term Food Stalls and Domestic Water Carriers) within the Fraser Coast Region will be issued with an Eat Safe star rating based on an Eat Safe Audit undertaken by Council.

For view more information about Eat Safe star ratings.