If you want to set up a temporary food stall/stand or operate a food vehicle for a community event, you will need to do the following:
- Submit an ‘Application to Sell Food from Temporary Premises’ using the form below
- Provide a food stall diagram
- Provide public liability insurance documents
- For-profit vendors - All commercial food vendors, whether operating from a temporary food stall or a mobile food vehicle, must be registered as a food business under the WA Food Act 2008. Please provide a copy of your registration if you are based in a local authority other than the City of Cockburn
- Not-for-profit and charity groups only - You may wish to lodge an application as above or online at Sell Food from a Temporary Food Premises. Confirmation of your group's public liability insurance cover must also be provided with an online application.
Please note that online applications from for-profit food businesses will not be accepted.
Administration fees
- If you are a for-profit food premises, you will need to pay a fee with your ‘Application to Sell Food from a Temporary Food Premises’ form. Fees are listed on the application form
- The fees applied vary, depending upon whether the sale of food is for commercial or charitable gain, and also according to the duration or nature of the event
- There are no fees for not-for-profits.
An approval to operate a food stall is subject to compliance with all of the following key food safety principles and practices. These requirements are necessary to ensure the safety and suitability of food sold to the public from temporary food stalls.
Cleanliness
Everyone involved in food preparation for the stall must
- Practice excellent personal hygiene and be free from symptoms of infectious disease (symptoms may include nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea)
- Ensure that any boils, infected wounds or sores are covered using a coloured, waterproof bandage or dressing and disposable gloves
- Wear clean, washable protective clothing (ie uniform, aprons)
- Have hair adequately covered in a hat, net cap or scarf
- Wear disposable gloves or use utensils for food handling where practical, and avoid direct contact with food or food contact surfaces
- Separate money and food handling activities to minimise the risk of contamination
- Be provided access to and make use of a suitable hand wash facility, soap and disposable hand towels as well as an approved sanitary facility. Soap, single use hand towels and warm water must be used each time hands are washed.
Skills and knowledge
All food handlers must have the necessary skills and knowledge to match the duties they carry out in order to provide safe food. It is each food handler’s responsibility to ensure that they are familiar with and understand their obligations. See the
Food Handling Training page for more information.
Stall structure
Stalls must comply with the following requirements
- Consist of a roof and three sides with a floor area no smaller than 16m2
- Be kept in a clean, sound condition and constructed of materials that are easy to clean
- The floor surfacing is to extend beneath any tables or large appliances and of substances that are easy to clean such as concrete, brick paving, duckboard, tarpaulins, vinyl or heavy duty plastic
- Food stalls should be no closer than 30m to animal enclosures or activities such as camel or pony rides.
Stall facilities and equipment
- All preparation benches are to be smooth and impervious.
- Sufficient food handling/serving equipment is to be provided for the activity (may include items such as refrigerators, freezers, cookers or bain-maries necessary to ensure the correct storage and handling temperatures)
- Provide adequate power supply for cooking where necessary
- Install gas and electrical services in compliance with the relevant legislative and City Health Services requirements. Stall holders must provide a Certificate of Compliance from a suitably qualified tradesman, prior to the event commencing
- Provide artificial lighting fitted with suitable protective covers if the stall will be operating after sunset
- Install safety barricades around cooking equipment to prevent the public coming into contact with hot surfaces. Stall walls should be protected from heat, flame and splashing from hot substances. Raise all power cables off the ground or otherwise arrange to eliminate trip hazards and protect cables against damage
- Locate at least one 4.5 kg B (E) dry chemical powder extinguisher within the cooking area, between 100 and 1,200 mm above the floor.
Protect food from contamination
- All food is to be adequately protected from dust, flies, sunlight, human breath or touch. Food is to be stored above the ground in sealed, impervious containers
- Serve all sauces in squeeze type dispensers or individually sealed packs
- Use only disposable eating utensils, wrapped in napkins, cellophane bags or similar and stored to prevent any contamination from dust, flies etc
- Dispense tea, coffee, cordial and other beverages from an enclosed or lidded receptacle equipped with a tap or spout
- Always store and handle raw and cooked food separately to prevent cross contamination. Use separate utensils for raw and cooked foods. This will also assist to avoid cross contamination
- Deliver all food in an approved food handling vehicle or container unless otherwise approved. The delivery of unprotected food in private vehicles is not permitted
- Provide waste bins within and near each stall
- The public must not be permitted to serve themselves unprotected food
- Provide separate hand and utensil washing facilities. Dish washing facilities should consist of a plastic dish of sufficient capacity for washing utensils.
- Provide separate hand washing facilities consisting of a plastic dish with an urn of warm running water. Provide disposable hand towels, liquid soap, detergent and a nailbrush.
- Dispose of all wastewater to an approved sewage disposal system.
Maintaining safe temperatures
- All food stalls need to have an approved onsite digital thermometer to monitor the temperature of cold and hot foods.
- All foods cooked at the stall shall be available for immediate sale and consumption, unless otherwise approved. Where such an approval is granted, a suitable food display capable of maintaining the food at a temperature of at least 60ºC (hot foods), or below 5ºC (cold foods), must be provided
- Store all raw and perishable foods such as steaks, hamburger patties, frankfurts, etc under refrigeration, or where specifically approved in a portable cooler together with an adequate supply of ice
- No cooking, other than “traditional” barbecue and “spit roast”, is permitted in temporary food stalls. The sale of pre-cooked chicken, pre-cooked chicken pieces or pre-cooked rice is not permitted
- If approval has been granted for food to be prepared at an approved premises prior to an event where the food will be sold, the food is to be reheated on a stove or in a microwave oven to a temperature in excess of 60ºC, and held at no less than 60ºC during display
- Pre-prepared food products or pre-cooked food consisting wholly or in part of fresh cream, custard, trifle, or any similar potentially hazardous foods shall not be sold from any one or two day food stall, unless refrigerated.
Labelling packaged foods
While food sold at charitable events is not required by law to be labelled, information must be available to potential purchasers regarding ingredients to identify potential allergens and can avoid confusion.
Food stalls are required to advise where foods contain the following potential allergens:
- Gluten (found in wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt)
- Fish, fish products, shellfish or shellfish products
- Milk and milk products
- Egg and egg products
- Soya beans and products
- Peanuts and peanut products
- Sesame seeds and sesame products
- Other nuts and their products
- Sulphites (a preservative)
- Royal jelly, bee pollen or propolis.
More information and contact
Please contact Health Services for more information on temporary food stalls and stands on 08 9411 3444 or at [email protected].
Please visit the Management of temporary and mobile food businesses and Food Standards Australia New Zealand food safety practices and requirements for more information.