The Food Act 2014 allows for the trade of food for the sole purpose of fundraising, with some limitations.

Fundraising

Macaroon stall at a marketThe Food Act 2014 allows a person or a group to trade in food for the sole purpose of raising money for a charitable, benevolent, philanthropic, or cultural purpose for up to 20 occasions in any calendar year. These activities are exempt from registration.

Food for sale needs to be safe and suitable, and all food must be sourced from a registered supplier.

The most common methods of selling food for fundraising are sausage sizzles, and cake or confectionery stalls. These do not require registration under the Food Act 2014, but you must still prepare and handle the food in a safe and hygienic manner.

  • Your stall and any equipment used must be clean and well maintained.
  • Food must be stored, prepared, transported and displayed in an appropriate manner so it stays safe for eating.
  • Ideally, have a different person for each task - handling money, cooking etc.

We have prepared a general checklist [PDF, 17 KB] of items you should think about when setting up a temporary food stall.

Food Trading: Once a Year

There is an allowance to enable people to trade in food once per calendar year who do not ordinarily trade in food. Examples of this include but are not limited to:

  • A family with a food stall at an annual cultural festival.
  • Food provided at a home garage sale.

For further guidance and information, please see the Ministry for Primary Industries website.