Food transport vehicles

Food transport businesses must hold a licence with the Food Authority if they distribute and/or transport the following foods for wholesale (business to business):  

• milk or dairy products
• meat or meat products (including animal food or game meat)
• plants products
• seafood or seafood products  
• egg or egg products.

Licensing is used to ensure food is safe before it is supplied to the market. See Applying for a food licence for more information.

Vehicles that deliver food directly to consumers on behalf of a retail business or manufacturer are not considered to be food businesses. This is because the food is pre-packaged, and not processed or directly handled by the driver. 

There are no formal food safety qualifications required for food transport businesses, however each food handler and person in control of a food business is required to have food safety skills and knowledge appropriate to their food handling activities.

For a guide see FSANZ Safe Food Australia Division 2.

Requirements are set out in the Food Standards Code, Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices and General Requirements, clause 3. 

Food transport vehicles should:

• be designed and constructed to protect food from contamination
• be effectively cleaned and sanitised (where necessary) to protect food from contamination
• separate raw food from processed and/or ready-to-eat food, and protect food from contamination by covering or sealing appropriately.

Requirements are set out in Food Standards Code, Standard 3.2.3 – Food Premises and Equipment.

For specific requirements for each industry, see:

• Plant products transport vehicles
• Meat vans
• Dairy food transport vehicles
• Egg transporters
• Seafood transport vehicles  
• Animal food vans

In addition, the Food Authority recommends that transport businesses should:  

• if transporting potentially hazardous food that requires temperature control, annually service each vehicle’s refrigeration unit to ensure efficient operation
• pre-cool the transport vehicle before transportation. 

A food handler must take all reasonable measures not to handle food or surfaces likely to come into contact with food in a way that is likely to compromise the safety and suitability of food.

Transporters must exercise personal hygiene and health practices, so the food is suitable for sale by:

• wearing clean clothing at the start of each day
• not handling food if they know, or suspect, they have an illness, for example vomiting or diarrhoea
• covering open wounds with a waterproof bandage
• washing hands whenever it is likely their hands could contaminate food, for example after visiting the toilet; after meal breaks
• not smoking around food products at any time.

For more see our factsheets:

• Health and hygiene for food handlers (PDF, 157 KB)  
• Cleaning and sanitising in food businesses (PDF, 406 KB)  

Requirements are set out in Food Standards Code, Chapter 3, Standard 3.2.2, Division 4 - Health and Hygiene. 

A food business must, when transporting food:

• protect all food from the likelihood of contamination
• transport potentially hazardous food under temperature control
• ensure that potentially hazardous food which is intended to be transported frozen remains frozen during transportation.

Food transport vehicles are not required to prepare a Food Safety Program.

For specific requirements for each industry, see: 

• Plant products transport vehicles
• Meat vans
• Dairy food transport vehicles
• Egg transporters
• Seafood transport vehicles  
• Animal food vans

Food transport vehicles licensed with the Food Authority will be routinely checked for compliance with requirements. There may be fees if ongoing inspections are required. For more, see audits, inspections and compliance. 

Food transport businesses need to meet the requirements set out in:

1. Food Act 2003 (NSW)
2. Food Regulation 2015  
3. Food Standards Code, including:

• Chapter 1, Part 1.2 - Labelling and other Information Requirements
• Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices & General Requirements
• Standard 3.2.3 - Food Premises and Equipment 

You can update information about vehicles and vessels on existing food licences through our Apply to vary vehicle and vessel information form. Use the form to:  

• add, replace and/or cancel a vehicle
• change a vehicle registration plate or location
• add, replace and/or cancel a vessel.  

You may need to submit digital photographs of the vehicle or vessel as part of your application. Find out more, including what photos are required, in the Factsheet: Apply to vary vehicle and vessel information (PDF, 141 KB).  

• Apply to vary vehicle and vessel information online form

If you cannot use the online form, contact our Licensing & Accreditation Services on 1300 552 406 or bfs.admin@dpi.nsw.gov.au.