Which food businesses need verification
All registered food businesses need to be checked by a recognised verification agency.
We are accredited under ISO 17020 for verification services and can check businesses registered under a:
- Template food control plan – food service and retail
- National programme.
You can apply for registration, including verification services, if you are registered under one of the following Template Food Control Plan or National Programmes:
- business that handles food, but do not prepare or manufacture food
- food service provider to pre-school children, including children under five
- retailer of chilled or frozen food (excluding ice cream, iced confectionery and iced desserts)
- retailer of hot beverages and manufacturer-packaged food
- retailer of manufacturer-packaged ice cream or iced confectionery
- transporter or distributor of food products.
For more information on how to get your food businesses registered, visit Apply for food registration.
Before you apply for a verification service
If your business is in Auckland and falls into one of the risk-based categories, you need to apply for verification services with us.
If you do not know what plan or programme you fit under, visit the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) website and use the My Food Rules tool or phone the MPI Food Safety Helpline on 0800 00 83 33.
Risk-based categories
- Template Food Control Plan – section 40 industry-based template.
- Template Food Control Plan – registered with MPI and based in Auckland
- Generic National Programme 2 or 3, including:
- brewers, distillers, manufacturers of vinegar, alcoholic beverages or malt extract
- manufacturers of non-alcoholic beverages
- processors of herbs or spices
- manufacturers of dry mix products
- bakeries that prepare or manufacture bread or bread products only
- manufacturers of confectionery
- processors of nuts and seeds
- manufacturers of shelf-stable condiments (including sauces, spreads, and preserves)
- manufacturers of shelf-stable grain-based products.
How to apply
Step one
If your business fits under one or more of the risk-based categories, email aeho@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz to request for a verification service request form. In the email, make sure you include:
- your name
- contact phone number
- proposed location
- what category you fit under (refer to risk categories)
- description of your business activities (what you make and sell).
We will review the information you provide within 10 working days. If we can verify your business, we will prepare and send you a verification service agreement, including a cost estimate.
If we do not accept your verification service request or you choose not to go with us as your verification agency, you will need to use an outside verification agency. Then, get a confirmation letter from them and include it with your food registration application.
Completing a service request form does not automatically mean we have accepted the work. For more information, visit Apply for food registration.
Step two
If you accept the terms and conditions of the verification service, sign the agreement and return to the email stated on the agreement.
Step three
After we receive the signed agreement, we will give you a letter of verification confirming Auckland Council as your verifier.
You will need to submit this with your application when registering with the relevant registration authority (if not with Auckland Council).
How much will a verification cost
We will send you a quote based on information provided to us. A full invoice will be sent to you after your verification and must be paid by the allocated due date.
The size of your food business and the complexity of your process can affect how long your verification takes.
Next steps – Getting verified
Your first verification will happen within six weeks of your registration being approved. How often you will be verified in the future depends on:
- the outcome of your previous verification
- your business’s level of risk.
A food business is graded as part of the verification process, based on its performance according to our food safety criteria.