The MCEC (Venue) has sole rights for the sale and distribution of any article of food or drink for consumption on-site however the Venue understands that sampling is a key part of the exhibition experience.

The sampling of externally supplied food or beverage is permitted at the venue provided exhibitors notify the Organisers of their intent to sample and ensure that they meet all local and state government food safety regulations and prepare all the necessary forms.

Exhibitors who intend to provide samples of food or beverage product at the event must complete the following:

1. Login and complete the Sampling Food/Beverage Form no later than Monday, 15 July 2024
2. Log onto Foodtrader and complete a Food Registration, and then lodge a Statement of Trade advising of their intent to run a temporary stall

Note:

• FoodTrader has replaced Streatrader. For support on transferring your Streatrader account, please click here
• New FoodTrader user? Click here for support on setting up a new account.
• Samples must be items which relate to the normal business operations of the exhibitor
• Exhibitors who submit forms late risk not being able to sample their products
• Extra cleaning charges incurred through spillage or the removal of food/wet waste will be the responsibility of the Exhibitor

Dairy and Meat Producers
Dairy & Meat producers will need to register as a temporary food premises in their council area and lodge a Statement of Trade in order to be allowed to sample meat and dairy products on site. Their current registrations with Dairy Food Safety Victoria and PrimeSafe do not cover them for operation of a temporary stall only for their fixed premises.

Alcohol Sampling
Alcohol exhibitors will also need to register their business and submit a Statement of Trade via FoodTrader before coming on site, please see the Alcohol Sampling section.

Exhibitors sampling full-sized cups of coffee will be charged an external supply fee of $200 per day by the MCEC. Exhibitors will be invoiced prior to the event. This fee only applies to those whose core business is coffee.

Any other exhibitors that would like to have full cups of coffee to supply to their visitors would need to order barista cart services through the MCEC. This can be done through the Barista Cart Package Order Form on the website.

Please ensure to complete the Sampling Food & Beverage Form in the Exhibitor Online Manual so you can be invoiced accordingly.

FoodTrader is the Victorian registration database for Temporary Food Premises (TFP) and Mobile Food Premises (MFP). Offering a sample of a food or beverage in the furtherance of trade (as a promotion of product/business) is deemed a sale of food under the Victorian Food Act 1984. Once the FoodTrader registration becomes active, the account holder will then be able to lodge a Statement of Trade (SOT) for the event.

Applying for a Registration
All exhibitors sampling food or beverage products must hold a current FoodTrader registration within the State of Victoria. Registrations are valid across all Victorian municipalities.
To apply for a registration go to FoodTrader and follow these steps.

• IMPORTANT: New registration applications generally take up to 15 business days to process. Once processed and paid for, you can then lodge your SOT.  
• For interstate or international exhibitors, register your business under the council where the event will take place – Melbourne City Council.
• For traders that have previously been registered on Streatrader, there is a process you need to follow to ensure you log on to FoodTrader and claim information that was previously stored on FoodTrader. Please reference the process in the FoodTrader User Guide in order to log on and claim information. For returning businesses that no longer have access to the email account linked to the FoodTrader account or previous Streatrader account will need to lodge new applications as FoodTrader no longer have the ability to reset email addresses linked to accounts.
• Businesses that are already registered with a council in Victoria do not need to do this step, but it is important to keep your registration up to date.

Fees
A fee is charged when an exhibitor registers their business. The fee charged is dependent upon the council where the food premise is located.

• There will be price changes on FoodTrader from the 1st of July 2024 which may effect some exhibitors.
• There is no fee associated with the lodgement of a Statement of Trade (SOT).

Statement of Trade (SOT) 
Once you have lodged and paid for your registration, or for those exhibitors who already have a registration, you will need to lodge a Statement of Trade notifying your council that you will be operating a temporary premise. To do this please follow these steps.

• IMPORTANT: All Statements of Trade must be lodged no later than Wednesday 28th August 2024. 

Help or Further Assistance

• Click here to review the Temporary Food Premises Guidelines.
• For more detailed information regarding these regulations please contact FoodTrader or your Local Council if located in Victoria.

Please refer to the OH&S Food Sampling Obligations Onsite page for information and guidelines regarding the set up and requirements for sampling food and beverages on your stand.

Class 2

Unpackaged potentially hazardous food is handled. Refers to raw foods cooked on site

Includes: All Meats / Hot Dogs / Souvlaki / Hamburgers / Stir Fries / Pasta / Noodles and Rice Dishes / Gozleme / Seafood / Shellfish & Fish Dishes / Dumplings / Barbecued Meats / Pizza / Dim Sims / Pies & Sausage Rolls (Unpackaged) / Quiche / Cakes and Desserts containing cream, custard or raw eggs / Freshly Squeezed Juice / Soft Serve Ice Cream / Soups / Salads & Sandwiches / Dairy – Milk & Eggs

Class 2 classification requires a certified Food Safety Supervisor onsite. More information on Food Safety Supervisors can be found here

Handwashing required:

A plumbed in hand wash unit and a plumbed in double bowl sink is required when preparing food from scratch  (chopping / cutting then cooking on site)

Class 3

Handling of unpackaged low risk foods to the public for immediate consumption

Includes: Smallgoods / Bread / Donuts / Biscuits / Nuts / James, Chutneys & Relishes / Fairy Floss / Chocolates / Olives / Tomatoes / Cakes with no cream, Fermented Drinks, Added Unpasteurised Ingredients, Heating Prepared Food / Packaged Sandwiches, Pies or Sausage Rolls / Scooped Ice Cream or Gelati / Whole Eggs

(samples offered for no more than four hours, drinks must be chilled once opened)

Handwashing required:

Portable/temporary hand wash unit required on the stand. Can be a temporary set up of a 10 litre drinking water container with the tap on the end, plastic bucket, liquid soap and paper towel. Must use hot water.

A powered hand wash unit is required if heating cooked prepared products such as a premade casserole or heating cooked meats with a prepared sauce

Class 4

Handling of pre-packaged low risk foods to the public 

Includes: Pre-packaged items – Chocolate / Nuts / Confectionary / Breads / Olives / Cakes / Slices /  Biscuits / Whole or Uncut Fruit or Vegetables / Packaged Ice Cream. Drinks for immediate consumption – coffee, tea, alcohol, water, soft drink.

Handwashing required: 

Food-grade alcohol based hand sanitizer must be available on your stand

For all exhibitors preparing food on their stand (such as cutting, chopping, mixing then cooking) must have the following:

• A plumbed in double bowl sink with Cold & Hot water taps installed – Refer to the Plumbing page if you need assistance
• A separate plumbed in hand wash unit – with an adequate supply of warm running water (approximately 40°C), liquid soap and disposable paper towels
• Food Grade Bench Sanitiser
• Hand Sanitiser for staff and the general public
• Controlled temperatures – fridge or freezer – with documented daily temperatures taken and recorded.
• Thermometer for testing temperature of cooked foods – and records documented

Approved Appliances

Click here to familiarise yourself with what appliances are permitted to be used within the Exhibition Centre.

For further information on health and safety requirements please contact our Food Service Advisor:
Mary Whelan
0408 039 964
[email protected]