On this page:
- Food Business Registration and Renewal
- Food Safety Standards
- Food Labelling
- Food Sampling Program
- Fact Sheets
Food Business Registration and Renewal
The Northern Territory food safety legislation takes a preventative approach to reducing food-borne illness, to enhance the Northern Territory's reputation for clean and safe foods, and assist businesses to provide food that is safe and wholesome.
The legislation requires all food businesses be registered. This registration is free and allows the Department to identify the risks of the business, provide them with information about food safety including recalls, identify sources of food borne illness, target inspections and respond to complaints more effectively.
Exceptions to registration apply to those businesses that are of a community based, one-off nature.
Click here to register or renew your food business registration
Alternatively, download the food business renewal form (for existing food business registrations) or the food business registration form (for new food business registrations).
- Application to Register a Food Business (Adobe PDF document - 36KB)
- Application to Renew a Food Business (Adobe PDF document - 27KB)
Food Safety Standards
The NT Food Act adopts the national Food Safety Standards, which set down the rules for how food must be handled and how premises and equipment must be maintained to uphold food safety. These standards are:
- Standard 3.1.1 Interpretation and Application
- Standard 3.2.1 Food Safety Programs
- Standard 3.2.2 Food Safety Practices and General Requirements
- Standard 3.2.3 Premises and Equipment.
- Standard 3.3.1 Food Safety Programs for Food Service to Vulnerable Persons
More Food Safety Standards can be found at Food Standards Australia New Zealand website.
Food Safety for Vulnerable Populations
The NT adopts the Australian and New Zealand Food Standards Code by reference without amendment, therefore Standard 3.3.1 Food Safety Programs for Vulnerable Populations has in effect come into force in the Northern Territory. Whilst this is the case, the Department of Health and Families is still in the process of developing regulations under its head legislation, the Food Act 2004, to allow for the audit infrastructure needed to support the standard. At this stage organisations are not being audited against the Standard by our Department, however we are encouraging development of programs that comply with 3.3.1 ahead of the legislation necessary for the NT to implement the audit system.
Templates to develop a food safety program can be found at SA Department of Health Food Safety Programs
If you have any questions regarding the food safety legislation, please contact either your local Environmental Health Officer or email the program at envirohealth@nt.gov.au
Food Labelling
This is a guide to the labelling requirements of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code ("the Code") that has been adopted into food law by all States and Territories.
This guide is designed to help small businesses prepare basic food labels for retail sale.
Food Surveillance
One of the key roles of the Environmental Health Program is monitoring food safety. A comprehensive monitoring and surveillance program is in place, which includes, compliance checking of premises and a food-sampling program.
The Branch works collaboratively with other jurisdictions and Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) in developing priority-sampling plans. Surveys in which the NT has participated in recently include:
- Tthe detection of illegal food colourings in spices
- Microbiological quality of sushi (Sushi Survey )
- Sulphur dioxide in mince meat
- Microbiological quality of ready to eat market food.
The NT regularly participates in the Australian Total Diet Survey (ATDS). The ATDS is Australia's most comprehensive assessment of consumer's dietary exposure to pesticide residues, contaminants and other substances.
