Retail butcher shop licence

Licence conditions and standards

Licence conditions require all meat processing facilities to comply with relevant Australian and Victorian standards and guidelines.

There are steps your business must complete before we can issue a licence.

Before you apply

Before applying, you must prepare your business to meet licence requirements.

To learn what you need to do and how to apply, read apply for a licence.

After you receive your licence

Once we issue your licence, you must comply with your licence conditions at all times.

If you do not understand your licence conditions, contact us for help.

Retail butcher shop requirements

If you operate a retail butcher shop and employ fewer than 20 workers, you do not need to:

• conduct management reviews or
• carry out internal audits.

Additional activities

If you plan to carry out the following activities, additional requirements apply:

• Manufacture smallgoods — see the smallgoods meat products technical guideline.
• Age beef — see the ageing of beef technical guideline.

Standards and guidelines you must follow

• Use the Victorian Standard for the Hygienic Production of Meat at Retail Premises when you process and store meat and meat products at retail premises for human consumption.

• Use the Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production and Transportation of Meat and Meat Products for Human Consumption when you process, transport or store meat and meat products for human consumption.

  Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production and Transportation of Meat and Meat Products for Human Consumption

• Use the AMRG Guidelines for the Management of Listeria if you manufacture packaged ready‑to‑eat meat, or if you buy ready‑to‑eat meat products to slice, portion and package for sale.

• Use the Victorian standard for the hygienic production of meat at retail premises when you process and store meat and meat products at retail premises for human consumption.

• Use the Australian standard for the hygienic production and transportation of meat and meat products for human consumption when you process, transport or store meat and meat products for human consumption.

  Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production and Transportation of Meat and Meat Products for Human Consumption

• Use the AMRG Guidelines for the Management of Listeria if you manufacture packaged ready‑to‑eat meat, or if you buy ready‑to‑eat meat products to slice, portion and package for sale.

Retail butcher shops are audited in the first week after opening and then once each year.

Retail butcher shops that manufacture smallgoods are audited twice each year.

Audits are carried out by a Safe Food Victoria‑approved auditor.

For more information, see audits.