Your mobile food vehicle fitout must comply with the Food Act 1984 and The Food Standards Code Australia New Zealand.
A fitout must:
- be appropriate for the food handling activities occurring
- have adequate space
- allow for effective cleaning.
Approval to trade will be based on your final inspection with an environmental health officer.
Floors
Floors must be finished with a smooth, waterproof, and durable material suited to the work process without any open joints. They must also be able to be cleaned effectively, unable to absorb grease, laid so there is no ponding of water, and unable to harbour pests.
Any floor coving should be sealed and extended up the walls and partitions to a height of 75mm in a way that is concavely rounded off. Aluminium, feather edge or plastic coving strips installed on top of the floor surface are not recommended as food can get trapped underneath gaps.
Carpet floor mats are not acceptable. Ensure any floor mats provided are made of a material that can be easily and effectively cleaned.
Walls and ceilings
All wall surfaces, including doors and their surrounding fittings, need to be appropriate for food handling activities. They should be:
- free from cracks and crevices, with tightly joined junctions
- impervious to grease, moisture and dirt
- made of stainless steel, vinyl sheeting, glossy white plasterboard or ceramic tiles.
Ceilings must be finished with a smooth, dust-proof, non-porous material constructed free from open joints, cracks and crevices and painted with gloss paint in a light colour. Lighting should be recessed and fitted with shatter-proof covers.
Hand-washing facilities
The Food Standards Code emphasises the importance of hand washing to prevent diseases being spread and contamination of food. All hand wash basins are to be designated for hand, arm and face washing only. You cannot use the handwash basin to prepare food or wash equipment.
They must be:
- permanent fixtures with hot and cold water, ideally from a hands-free tap
- of a sufficient size to wash hands i.e. 500mm x 400mm 11 litre capacity
- provided with mounted liquid soap, paper towel and a rubbish bin.
IMPORTANT: Easily accessed by food handlers means it must not be obstructed by other equipment, half-walls, partitions, or similar.
Equipment washing
Adequate sinks large enough to enable the cleaning and sanitising of all appliances and utensils must be provided. A sink is required for washing your equipment with warm (about 54C to 60C) soapy water, and a sink is required for sanitising dishes with chemicals or heat.
At minimum, we recommend a double bowl sink of sufficient depth with a spray tap for washing and sanitising your equipment. The bowls should be deep enough to effectively clean and sanitise the largest piece of equipment.
If you wash produce regularly or require a preparation sink, you will be required to install this as an additional separate sink to avoid contaminating food. Sinks must be adequately partitioned so that dirty equipment does not contaminate clean equipment, food, or the hand-washing facilities.
Sanitary facilities
You must provide convenient toilet facilities for your food handlers.
This could be:
- a portaloo
- the facilities of a nearby building.
Water
If your vehicle is not connected to a reticulated potable water supply, it must be fitted with water storage tanks with a capacity adequate for the period of trading. A minimum of 25 litres is recommended to be stored for cleaning purposes.
A continuous flow of hot water at sufficient pressure must be provided for the needs of the business, often provided by a pump system.
Pest proofing
All possible access points, inside and outside, must be identified and sealed to pestproof the van. Particular attention needs to be paid to entry and exit points for service pipes, joints between walls and roof, and ventilation ports.
You may choose to use an insect control device that can electrocute or stun flying insects and retain the insect within the device. Do not place these devices directly over food preparation working areas, exposed food, clean equipment and unwrapped packaging materials.
Waste
All fixtures, fittings and equipment that discharge sewage or wastewater should be connected to a sewage and wastewater disposal system and discharged to an approved site of disposal.
Where there is no connection to a mains system, you must have a temporary holding tank and any associated pipe work must be properly constructed, not leak and not provide access for pests into the vehicle.
Contact Greater Western Water to determine if your vehicle requires a permit to discharge or Trade Waste Agreement.
Electrical and gas appliances
Contact Energy Safe Victoria (ESV) to discuss any electrical or gas needs for your mobile food premises.