Live Holding Seafood
If you store live seafood at a land-based site for supply to other businesses, then you require an accreditation with Safe Food Production Queensland (Safe Food).
This activity is classified as Producing under the Seafood Scheme of the Food Production (Safety) Regulation 2014.
Other accreditations you may need
If you are storing seafood under active refrigeration, then you will also require an accreditation as a Cold Store.
If you grow or harvest seafood at a land-based or marine-based aquaculture facility, you will require an accreditation as an Aquaculture Facility.
If you are catching/harvesting seafood onboard a commercial fishing boat, you will require an accreditation as a Wild Animal Harvester.
If you are catching and processing seafood onboard a commercial fishing boat (e.g. gutting, gilling, cooking), you will require an accreditation as a Commercial Fishing Vessel – Producing.
Before you apply
If you intend to hold live seafood, you must do so in an approved facility that meets the requirements of:
- Food Standards Code Standard 4.2.1 (Primary Production and Processing Standard for Seafood)
AND - Food Standards Code Standard 3.2.3 (Food Premises and Equipment)
If your food premise complies with these requirements and you wish to proceed with an application for accreditation, please see below for what you need to submit.
What should I submit with my application?
-
Application form
Complete the Application form and select Producing (seafood scheme, live holding) as your activity on page 2.
Note: If you want to complete this form on your mobile or desktop, please download or save it first.
-
Payment of fees
Fees and payment details can be viewed within the application form.
-
Management Statement or Food Safety Program
You must submit either a Management Statement or Food Safety Program with your application.
A management statement is a concise way of documenting how your business intends to operate and what activities you intend to undertake. It should be written by you (the applicant) in your own words.
A Food Safety Program (FSP) documents the processes and procedures you will follow to minimise or eliminate food safety risks and ensure the food you produce is safe. This is a detailed document that covers all aspects of your business, from inputs, product descriptions and temperatures, right through to cleaning, maintenance and pest control. It involves a risk assessment to identify where any possible issues may arise, how to recognise these issues, what the acceptable limits are around each step, and what to do to rectify a food safety issue, should it occur.
A FSP can be developed in partnership with a food safety consultant or your industry peak body. However, you are not obliged to use these.
-
Site plan
Please submit a site plan of your facility that shows the location of:
- tanks
- waste storage
- entry/exit points for staff
- hand washing facilities
-
Photos
You must submit photos of the following:
- tanks
- waste storage
- hand washing facilities, including chemicals used
- floors & walls
- drainage
Submit your completed application to [email protected] or PO Box 221, Greenslopes, Brisbane, QLD 4120.
When to apply
Under the Food Production (Safety) Act 2000, it is unlawful to engage in certain activities relating to primary production or processing of food until you have been granted an accreditation by Safe Food. As such, you should allow adequate time for your application to be reviewed by Safe Food before you begin operating.
Your application will aim to be assessed within 14 days, although applications submitted in their entirety (with all the items outlined above) are likely to be processed faster.
Upon submission of your application, a member of our Central Assessment Team will contact you for payment (if paying by credit card). Once payment has been received, your application will be assessed, and we will contact you if we require any further information.
You will be notified in writing about the outcome of your application (approved or refused).
Fees
Fees are based on the activities you are carrying out and are outlined in the Application form.
New applications will incur a one-time application fee that is non-refundable.
Our accreditation period runs from 1st January – 31st December*. You will therefore need to renew your accreditation on an annual basis.
For more information, please refer to our fees & charges.
*Our fees are not pro-rata.