Food Safety Pre-Lodgement Assessment
Before you submit a development or food business registration application, we review your site or fit-out plans against the NSW Food Act 2003 and Food Standards 3.2.2, 3.2.3 and 3.2.2A. We flag likely issues early - sink and splashguard requirements, ventilation, storage, and pest-proofing - so your application goes in with fewer surprises and delays, and your fit-out is built once rather than reworked after a failed inspection.
Free consultation
- Typically 2-5 business days from site visit to written report
- From $650 + GST
- Quoted fixed after a free scope check
Get it right before you lodge
Before you submit a development or food business registration application, we review your site or fit-out plans against the NSW Food Act 2003 and Food Standards 3.2.2, 3.2.3 and 3.2.2A. We flag likely issues early - sink and splashguard requirements, ventilation, storage, and pest-proofing - so your application goes in with fewer surprises and delays.
What we check
The construction and layout requirements the Food Standards Code sets out for a food premises - cleanable surfaces, a dedicated hand-washing basin, adequate refrigeration, mechanical exhaust over cooking equipment, a grease arrestor sized to the operation, pest-proofing, and compliant waste storage - checked against your specific plans, not a generic checklist.
How it works
Send us your plans
Same day
Site or fit-out plans, and what the application is for - a new food business, a change of use, or a fit-out of an existing premises.
Assessment against the standards
1-3 days
Reviewed against the Food Act 2003 and Food Standards 3.2.2, 3.2.3 and 3.2.2A.
Written report
2-5 business days total
Issues flagged and prioritised, with enough detail to fix them on the plans before lodgement.
Follow-up review
As required
Optional second look once amendments are made, before you lodge.
What we take off your hands
What EHUP handles
- Reviewing your site or fit-out plans against the Food Act 2003 before you lodge
- Checking against Food Standards 3.2.2, 3.2.3 and 3.2.2A specifically
- Sink, splashguard, ventilation, storage and pest-proofing checks
- Flagging likely issues early enough to redesign on paper, not on site
- A written list of what to fix before your application goes in
What you don't have to deal with
- Lodging an application that gets knocked back over a requirement nobody checked first
- Discovering a construction requirement after the fit-out is built
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as council's assessment of my application?
No. This is an independent check we carry out before you lodge, aimed at catching issues in advance so your actual application has a smoother run through council's own assessment.
What do you check against specifically?
The NSW Food Act 2003 and the Food Standards Code - Standard 3.2.2 (food safety practices and general requirements), 3.2.3 (food premises and equipment) and 3.2.2A. In practice that covers sink and splashguard requirements, ventilation, storage and pest-proofing.
When should I get this done?
As early as possible - ideally while the fit-out is still on paper. The earlier an issue is caught, the cheaper it is to fix. Catching a ventilation or drainage requirement after construction is far more expensive than adjusting a drawing.
Do you also handle the planning approval itself?
This assessment covers the food safety side specifically. See our food and drink premises approval page for the planning pathway - CDC or DA - that runs alongside it.
Related services
Food Premises Inspection
Opening, buying, or upgrading a food business? Our food safety consultants help you identify risks and compliance requirements before you commit - saving you time, money, and unnecessary delays.
Food and Drink Premises
Food and drink premises - cafes, restaurants and takeaway food shops - sit under two separate obligations that operators often assume are one process.
CDC - Restaurants & Cafes
A cafe or restaurant fitout, and in many cases the change of use to a food premises, can be certified as complying development in as little as two to three weeks where the premises satisfies the Codes SEPP in full.
Why clients choose EHUP
- 10+
- 250+
- 14
- 1
Not sure which approval you need?
Tell us the address and what you want to do. We'll help identify the appropriate planning pathway, whether it is exempt development, complying development or a full DA. Your first conversation is free.