You will need to comply with this registration and notification process if you intend to operate a business supplying vending machines for the sale of food. A vending machine is a coin operated machine dispensing food or liquid, usually in public areas, and is not attended to by the seller during each sale of the product.
All vending machines operating in Victoria are required to be registered on the FoodTrader website. By registering your vending machine through FoodTrader, you are notifying your principal council. Your principal council is the district in which you prepare the food for the machines or the district where you have your usual business address or, if your business address is not located in Victoria, then the district in which you will first operate in Victoria.
Vending machines fall into three classes, depending on the types of food sold from them:
- Class two is unpackaged high risk foods
- Class three is unpackaged low risk foods (including tea and coffee) or pre-packaged high risk foods (such as sandwiches)
- Class four is pre-packaged low risk foods such as bottled water, soft drink, sealed containers of milk, confectionery or chips.
If your vending machine falls under class two or three you are required to lodge a Statement of Trade (SOT) which can be done on the FoodTrader website. Class four is exempt from this requirement.
