From 1 July 2025, we will be implementing a change in the way we invoice the food verification fee for businesses.
Under the Food Act 2014, it is a legal requirement for food providers (restaurants, cafes, eateries, bakeries, etc) to be registered and verified.
The fee involved with food verification is increasing as Council moves away from a ratepayer subsidised model to a user-pays model, in line with reducing costs to ratepayers.
What is a verification?
A verification is a semi-formal meeting in which you demonstrate to a verifier how the business complies with the requirements of the Food Control Plan (FCP) or National Programme (NP) with which you are registered.
The verification is undertaken when you are open for business and will involve an entry meeting, a review of documents and records, requests to demonstrate food safety practices, questions for the operator and staff, and a ‘reality check’ by observation of food practices and checking the premises.
How long will it take?
The time it takes to undertake the on-site part of a verification changes due to the complexity of the food business and its compliance with requirements, but it is, on average, between 45 minutes and two hours.
The time the verifier is on-site only forms part of the time you will be charged for the verification.
What will it cost?
You will be invoiced for the verification after the report has been completed and sent out.
Verifications are charged by the hour, but it is important to note that the charges include more time than what is spent on-site at your food business.
Verification time includes the following activities:
- Booking the verification,
- Scheduling changes and cancellations,
- Preparing for the verification,
- Travelling to and from the verification,
- The on-site verification (sometimes at more than one site – mobile and market operators),
- The report,
- Updating Council’s and MPI’s data base systems,
- Filing,
- Reviewing and filing corrective action evidence provided by the business,
- Reminders for corrective actions and follow up visits.
If your business prepares food at a home base and also at a market, even, or roadside stall, there will be extra costs to cover the two site visits.
For information on fees and charges, visit the Food premises webpage.
For more information about food verification at Tauranga City Council, please check out the fact sheet below:
Food verification fact sheet (146kb pdf)