What other permits or approvals do I need?

To legally operate a home-based food business, you may need other permits or approvals.

By obtaining all the required permits or approvals, you reduce the possibility of expensive mistakes and avoid potential breaches of the relevant legislation.

Please understand you are responsible to ensure you have obtained all required permits or approvals to legally operate.

Planning Scheme requirements

A food business may be able to be conducted from home, provided it does not create a nuisance for neighbours.

Nuisances include loud or prolonged noise, smoke, fumes, odours or an increase in street traffic created by delivery vehicles or customer parking. The Planning Scheme may also limit the size and scale of the activity.

To learn more about home-based businesses and determine whether you need additional permits or approvals, please see Home based business.

Building requirements

Building work may require a development application. Please refer to the Building approval.

Plumbing and drainage requirements

Installation of plumbing fixtures and associated drainage may require a development permit for plumbing and drainage work. For plumbing and drainage information, please refer to Plumbing and drainage.

Labelling requirements

Food packaged for retail sale, wholesale or limited wholesale requires appropriate labelling.

To find information on labelling see Queensland Health’s website The Food Pantry.

More detailed labelling information can be found on Food Standards Australia New Zealand.

Transporting potentially hazardous food for sale at another location

To transport potentially hazardous food to another location, such as a market stall, you will need a system to keep the food under temperature control during transit. Food must also be protected from contamination during transit. 

Food prepared at home and sold at another location

Transporting food from a home-based food business to another premises or location, such as a market stall, where it undergoes further handling, processing, preparation, decanting, portioning or serving, may require an additional food business licence to operate the market stall.

Food recall

A business engaged in the manufacture of food for wholesale must have a documented recall system in place. Refer to Food Standards Australia New Zealand.