Regulations

Victorian food premises classes, explained

What Class 1, 2, 3A, 3 and 4 mean, how your class is decided, and what each one has to keep. Written for food manufacturers, with notes for other food businesses.

4 min read

The short answer

Under Victoria’s Food Act 1984, every food business is classified by the highest-risk food activity it carries out. Class 1 is the highest risk and Class 4 the lowest. Most food manufacturers are Class 2: they need an independent food safety program audited by an approved auditor, a food safety supervisor, and annual council registration. Your council confirms your class when you register.

All five classes

The classes at a glance

Class	Who it covers	Examples	Main obligations
Class 1	Mainly handle potentially hazardous food served to vulnerable people	Hospitals, aged care and similar care services	Food safety program kept on site, audited by an approved auditor; food safety supervisor; annual registration
Class 2	Handle or manufacture unpackaged potentially hazardous food, or make low-risk food with an allergen-free claim	Most manufacturers; restaurants, cafés, caterers, delis	Manufacturers: independent food safety program audited by an approved auditor. Food safety supervisor. Annual registration and council inspection
Class 3A	Specific activities, including some hot-fill preserved foods and accommodation getaways	Some chutneys, relishes and sauces made by hot-fill	Registration and inspection; food safety supervisor; check specific requirements with council
Class 3	Handle unpackaged low-risk food, or sell pre-packaged potentially hazardous food that just needs refrigeration	Wholesalers of pre-packaged food, convenience stores	No full food safety program; minimum records kept on site; registration and inspection
Class 4	Activities that pose low risk	Pre-packaged shelf-stable food, uncut fruit and veg, wine tastings	Notify council; no food safety program or supervisor

Summarised from Bass Coast Shire’s classification guide and the Department of Health’s Class 2 fact sheet. Requirements vary with your exact activities; your council has the final say.

For manufacturers

How to work out your class

Step 1

List every food activity on site

Include the small ones: a factory shop, a tasting counter, contract packing, or products made only at certain times of year.

Step 2

Find the highest-risk one

Ask whether you handle unpackaged food that needs temperature control to stay safe, such as dairy, meat, cooked rice or sauces. If you do, you’re likely Class 2. An allergen-free claim on a low-risk product also puts you in Class 2.

Step 3

Check who licenses you

Dairy, meat, poultry and seafood businesses are licensed by Safe Food Victoria, not council. It replaced Dairy Food Safety Victoria and PrimeSafe on 1 July 2026.

Step 4

Confirm with your council

Your council confirms the class at registration. Tell them when your activities change, because a new product line can move you up a class.

The common case

What Class 2 means for a manufacturer

An independent food safety program. Manufacturers can’t use the council’s FoodSmart-style template. Your program is your own, usually HACCP-based.
Audits by a Department of Health approved auditor, at the frequency your council or auditor sets.
A nominated food safety supervisor with the right training.
Annual council registration and inspection. Keep full audit reports, which councils ask you to retain for several years.
Standard 3.2.2 and a recall system. Standard 3.2.2A generally doesn’t apply to manufacturers; see why.

Where EthicalHub fits

Your independent program, ready for audit

A Class 2 program lives or dies on its records. EthicalHub holds your HACCP plan, CCP monitoring, all 18 prerequisite programs, supplier certificates and corrective actions in one place, and exports an audit pack in about a minute. Built in Melbourne for Victorian food businesses.

Is your program audit-ready?

The free assessment shows which records an auditor or EHO would question.

Check your readiness

Questions

Victorian food premises classes: common questions

What class is a food manufacturer in Victoria?

Most food manufacturers are Class 2, because they handle or manufacture unpackaged potentially hazardous food. Manufacturers of low-risk food can be Class 3, unless they make an allergen-free claim, which makes them Class 2. Your council confirms your class.

Can a Class 2 manufacturer use the council food safety program template?

No. Class 2 manufacturers need their own independent (non-standard) food safety program, audited by a Department of Health approved food safety auditor.

Who decides my food premises class?

Your local council, when you register, based on the highest-risk food activity on your premises. Dairy, meat, poultry and seafood businesses are licensed by Safe Food Victoria instead.

What happens if my activities change?

Tell your council. Adding a higher-risk product or activity can move you into a higher class, with more requirements.

Know your class, keep the proof.

Check where your records stand in three minutes.

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