Depending on the type and size of your food business, you will need a Food Control Plan or National Programme.
Food verification fee and MPI food business levy
From 1 July 2025, new fees for food businesses will come into place.
Food verification fee – we will be implementing changes to the way we invoice a food verification fee as we move away from a ratepayer subsidised model to a user-pays model. More information can be found on the Food verification webpage.
MPI food business levy – MPI have introduced legislation that requires all businesses registered under the Food Act 2014 to pay MPI an annual fee. Under this legislation, council is required to collect it on behalf, and you can expect an invoice for this in July 2025 and annually thereafter. For more information, visit the MPI website.
Anyone starting a new food business must register under the Food Act 2014 before they start selling food.
You cannot operate a food business until you apply and register for a Food Control Plan or National Programme. If you buy or lease an existing business you can't use the existing plan, you need to register your own.
Before starting a food business, you also need to check if you need a resource consent, planning permission or a building consent. Council’s duty planner can help with this – give us a call on 07 577 7000 for information.
To find out which plan applies to your business see MPI’s Food Safety Rules
Food control plans
The two food control plans are:
- a template food control plan - build your plan from templates supplied by Council or from the MPI website, complete the plan and then register the plan with Council
- a custom food control plan - develop your own plan, then register the plan with MPI
National programmes
There are three levels of National programmes that are based on the food safety risk of a business:
- Level 1 - lower risk
- Level 2 - medium risk
- Level 3 - higher risk
National programmes must be registered with Council, or with MPI if you operate in more than one local body’s area. National programme registrations are renewed every two years. More information on the MPI website
Verification information
Exemptions
Under the Food Act 2014, some food businesses and community groups are not required to operate under a food control plan or a national programme. For example, you don't need a Food Control Plan or National Programme if you are:
- selling food for fundraising less than 20 times a year. Fundraising activities include sausage sizzles, raffles and charity events
- sharing food with others at sports clubs, social clubs or marae where food is not the purpose of the event. For example, providing nibbles at a bowling club games night or serving food at a tangi.