How do I fit out a home-based food business?

Tier 1 home-based food business – higher risk

A tier 1 home-based food business requires a separate purpose-built commercial kitchen. For commercial food business fit-out standards, please refer to How do I fit out a new kitchen?

Tier 2 home-based food business requirements – medium risk

Food Safety Standard Clause	Guidance / Examples
General Requirements Food Safety Standard 3.2.3 (Food premises and equipment), Division 2, Clause 3	Adequate space to separate food handling activities to prevent cross-contamination between ready-to-eat foods, raw foods and ingredients must be available. Sufficient bench space/table area must be provided, so the volume of food can be handled safely.
Water Supply Food Safety Standard 3.2.3 (Food premises and equipment), Division 2, Clause 4	Hot water must be provided. Sinks must be supplied with water at a temperature not less than 50 degrees celsius for washing. Non-reticulated water sources (tank water) must be safe. Refer to Queensland Health’s Using Non-Reticulated Water in a Food Business for more information on water tank requirements. Warm water (i.e. mixer taps) for hand wash basins. Works require plumbing and drainage approvals.
Ventilation Food Safety Standard 3.2.3 (Food premises and equipment), Division 2, Clause 7	A domestic exhaust canopy is suitable for cooking practices, not including frying and deep frying. Commercial scale frying and deep-frying practices may require the installation of a more robust commercial exhaust canopy. The scale of the operation must be considered when applying this standard.
Lighting Food Safety Standard 3.2.3 (Food premises and equipment), Division 2, Clause 8	Lighting must be sufficient to readily see whether food preparation areas and equipment are clean, to detect signs of pests and to clearly see the food and equipment being handled.
Floors Food Safety Standard 3.2.3 (Food premises and equipment), Division 3, Clauses 9 and 10	Carpet and other absorbent surfaces are not permissible. Materials such as polished cork and polished floorboards are acceptable when well maintained.
Walls and Ceilings Food Safety Standard 3.2.3 (Food premises and equipment), Division 3, Clauses 9 and 11	Food preparation area walls must be smooth, impervious and easily cleaned e.g. tiles, stainless steel, painted plasterboard. Storage area walls must be smooth and easily cleaned e.g. painted plasterboard, gyprock or similar. In food preparation and storage areas, the ceiling must be easily cleaned e.g. painted plasterboard, gyprock or similar.
Fixtures, Fittings and Equipment Food Safety Standards 3.2.3 (Food premises and equipment), Division 4, Clause 12	Domestic-style benches and cupboards are acceptable, provided they are in good condition and have impervious surfaces. A suitably sized double bowl sink, one side for food preparation and the other for dishwashing, operated by a single mixer flick tap. A suitable dishwasher capable of washing equipment and sanitising by application of heat and or a combination of heat and chemical sanitiser must be installed. If sanitising through heat alone, the dishwasher must meet the following standard: Wash cycle - minimum temperature 66 to 71 degrees celsius with a sanitising cycle - minimum temperature 82 degrees celsius, or for single temperature stationary rack commercial dishwashers - minimum 74 degees celsius. The applicant must be able to validate the temperature. Generally, dishwashers designed for domestic use do not meet commercial dishwasher's time/temperature standards. They may meet the temperature range, but only when on the longest cycle. Should the business activity require prompt sanitation of equipment, a commercial dishwasher or the application of sanitising chemicals used in conjunction with a domestic dishwasher must be considered. Must provide designated storage areas for food. Use secured containers, cupboards, rooms, and refrigerators to separate family and business food. Potentially hazardous foods must be stored in a separate fridge and/or freezer solely for business use. Consider the scale of the operation when applying this standard.
Hand Washing Facilities Food Safety Standard 3.2.3 (Food premises and equipment), Division 4, Clause 14	A separate dedicated hand wash basin large enough to easily wash hands and arms. Hand wash basin(s) must be located within areas where food handlers work. Provide a liquid soap pump pack or similar liquid soap dispenser. Provide single-use disposable paper towels or other means of drying hands that are not likely to transfer pathogenic microorganisms.
General Duties for Food Businesses Food Safety Standard 3.2.2.(Food Safety Practices and General Requirements) Division 4, Clause 18	Smoking is not allowed in food preparation or food storage areas. Must keep visitors and family members away from the kitchen or other food preparation areas when food is being processed for the food business. Must prevent young children accessing food handling areas when food is being processed for the food business by, for example, using child safety gates or by only handling food at times when children are not present.
Cleaning and Sanitising of specific equipment Food Safety Standard 3.2.2. (Food Safety Practices and General Requirements) Division 5, Clause 20	Must provide a commercial chemical sanitiser approved for use on food contact surfaces, bottles for application and measuring equipment to ensure the sanitiser can be diluted as per the manufacturer’s instructions. The laundry room sink can double as a cleaners/mop sink.
Temperature Measuring Device Food Safety Standard 3.2.2.(Food Safety Practices and General Requirements) Division 6, Clause 22	Must provide a thermometer that can accurately measure the temperature of potentially hazardous food: A digital probe thermometer is required to take the internal temperature of food. A laser thermometer is required to take the surface temperature of the food.
Animals and Pests Food Safety Standard 3.2.2.(Food Safety Practices and General Requirements) Division 6, Clause 24	Not allowing pets in the kitchen while handling food for the food business by installing safety barriers or keeping pets in a different room or outside while handling food. A pest control program must be in place.

Note: The assessing Environmental Health Officer may request works other than what is listed if considered necessary.

Tier 3 home-based food business requirements – lower risk

Food Safety Standard Clause	Guidance / Examples
General Requirements Food Safety Standard 3.2.3 (Food premises and equipment), Division 2, Clause 3	Adequate space to separate food handling activities to prevent cross-contamination between ready-to-eat foods, raw foods and ingredients must be available. Sufficient bench space/table area must be provided to enable safe food handling.
Water Supply Food Safety Standard 3.2.3 (Food premises and equipment), Division 2, Clause 4	Hot water must be provided. Sinks must be supplied with water at a temperature not less than 500C for washing. Non-reticulated water sources (tank water) must be safe. Refer to Queensland Health’s Using Non-Reticulated Water in a Food Business for more information. Warm water (ie. mixer taps) for hand wash basins. Works require plumbing and drainage approvals.
Ventilation Food Safety Standard 3.2.3 (Food premises and equipment), Division 2, Clause 7	A domestic exhaust canopy is suitable for cooking practices, not including frying and deep frying. Commercial scale frying and deep-frying practices may require the installation of a more robust commercial exhaust canopy. The scale of the operation must be considered when applying this standard.
Lighting Food Safety Standard 3.2.3 (Food premises and equipment), Division 2, Clause 8	Lighting must be sufficient to readily see whether food preparation areas and equipment are clean, to detect signs of pests and to clearly see the food and equipment being handled.
Floors Food Safety Standard 3.2.3 (Food premises and equipment), Division 3, Clauses 9 and 10	Carpet and other absorbent surfaces are not permissible. Materials such as polished cork and polished floorboards are acceptable when well maintained.
Walls and Ceilings Food Safety Standard 3.2.3 (Food premises and equipment), Division 3, Clauses 9 and 11	Food preparation area walls must be smooth, impervious and easily cleaned e.g. tiles, stainless steel, painted plasterboard. Storage area walls must be smooth and easily cleaned e.g. painted plasterboard, gyprock or similar. The ceiling in food preparation and storage areas must be easily cleaned e.g. painted plasterboard, gyprock or similar.
Fixtures, Fittings and Equipment Food Safety Standards 3.2.3 (Food premises and equipment), Division 4, Clause 12	Domestic-style benches and cupboards are acceptable, provided they are in good condition and have impervious surfaces. A suitably sized double bowl sink, one side for food preparation and the other for dishwashing, operated by a single mixer flick tap. If sanitising through heat alone, the dishwasher must meet the following standard: Wash cycle - minimum temperature 66 - 710C with a sanitising cycle - minimum temperature 820C, or for single-temperature stationary rack commercial dishwashers - minimum 740C. The applicant must be able to validate the temperature. Generally, dishwashers designed for domestic use do not meet commercial dishwasher's time/temperature standards. They may meet the temperature range, but only when on the longest cycle. Should the business activity require prompt sanitation of equipment, a commercial dishwasher or the application of sanitising chemicals used in conjunction with a domestic dishwasher must be considered. Must provide designated storage areas for food. Use secured containers, cupboards, rooms, and refrigerators to separate family and business food. Potentially hazardous foods must be stored in a separate fridge and/or freezer solely for business use. Consider the scale of the operation when applying this standard.
Hand Washing Facilities Food Safety Standard 3.2.3 (Food premises and equipment), Division 4, Clause 14	A separate hand wash basin with a supply of warm water through a single spout must be provided in the kitchen. One side of a double bowl sink may be used as a handwash basin. Provide a liquid soap pump pack or similar liquid soap dispenser. Provide single-use disposable paper towels for hand drying. Provide a paper hand towel dispenser.
General Duties for Food Businesses Food Safety Standard 3.2.2.(Food Safety Practices and General Requirements) Division 4, Clause 18	Smoking is not allowed in food preparation or food storage areas. Must keep visitors and family members away from the kitchen or other food preparation areas when food is processed for the food business. Must prevent young children from accessing food handling areas when food is being processed for the food business by, for example, using child safety gates or by only handling food at times when children are not present.
Cleaning and Sanitising of specific equipment Food Safety Standard 3.2.2. (Food Safety Practices and General Requirements) Division 5, Clause 20	Must provide a commercial chemical sanitiser approved for use on food contact surfaces, bottles for application and measuring equipment to ensure the sanitiser can be diluted as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
Temperature Measuring Device Food Safety Standard 3.2.2.(Food Safety Practices and General Requirements) Division 6, Clause 22	Provide a thermometer suited to the food handling operations (strict handling/storage of non-potentially hazardous food may not require a thermometer).
Animals and Pests Food Safety Standard 3.2.2.(Food Safety Practices and General Requirements) Division 6, Clause 24	Not allowing pets in the kitchen while handling food for the food business by installing safety barriers or keeping pets in a different room or outside while handling food. A pest control program must be in place.

Note: The assessing Environmental Health Officer may request works other than what is listed in the table if considered necessary.

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