Food Retail, Mandatory Reporting / Registration
Service description
Under European law, food business operators are required to register if they are not already registered with the competent authority. Registration is handled by the competent food safety authorities in the counties and cities not belonging to a county.
In addition to registering before beginning work, the following significant changes must also be reported.
- the closure of the business or
- Changes to the food business operator's personal or address information,
- Change in the Name or Address of Business Premises
- Change in Type of Operation / Activity
- Expansion of the Product Line
The notification must be submitted within one month of the change taking effect.
This applies to every facility you manage or operate. All businesses that produce, process, store, or distribute food—either in person or online—are required to register, regardless of whether they are for-profit or not.
Examples of food companies include (this list is not exhaustive):
- Restaurants, snack bars, kiosks
- Artisanal and industrial producers (e.g., bakers, pastry shops, butchers)
- farms and winegrowers
- Businesses that carry food items only as a minor part of their product lineup—such as gas stations, pharmacies, drugstores, and fitness centers that carry food, dietary supplements, or special-diet foods
- Organizations that distribute food free of charge, such as food banks
- Businesses that engage solely in brokerage activities
- Schools, preschools, nursing homes, and clubhouses that regularly distribute food (school cafeterias, canteens)
- Business owners who sell food online. It doesn't matter whether they sell the food
- on its own website,
- through other providers or
- list items on marketplaces such as eBay or Amazon.
- Supermarkets, convenience stores
- Food Vending Machine Operators
- Producers of food of animal origin
- Fishery, crustacean, shellfish, and mollusk operations
- Food wholesalers, transporters, importers, and exporters
- Mobile food retail, including food trucks
- Primary producers of plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and herbs
- Party Planning and Catering
Procedure
- If available, please use the form provided and send it to the appropriate food safety authority.
- In any case, the required information about the food business must be submitted to the food safety authority for registration before operations begin; if in doubt, please send the required information in writing to the relevant food safety authority.
- The relevant food safety authority collects the operational data.
- If there are any changes, as described above, to the information or data you have already provided, or if you wish to deregister your food business, please also contact the relevant food safety authority.
Prerequisites
You operate a business that produces, processes, or distributes food.
Your business has not yet been registered with the relevant authority; or the above-mentioned changes in work processes, renovations, or a change in the food business operator have occurred that affect the information or data already on file; or you wish to deregister your food business.
What documents are required?
- Name and address of the business location and, if applicable, any other business locations, as well as the legal form
- Personal and contact information for the responsible food business operator
- Operating Mode / Activity
- Information on the product range (product categories) and scope
Please use the form provided for this purpose whenever possible.
What fees apply?
Prepayment: NoThere are no fees for registration by the food safety authoritiesWhat deadlines do I have to observe?
- The registration data and information must be submitted before commencing operations.
- Significant changes to work procedures or structural modifications must be reported immediately.
Legal basis
- Article 1, paragraph 2, and Article 6, paragraphs 1 through 3, of Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 29, 2004, on the hygiene of foodstuffs
- Article 15(5) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of March 15, 2017, on official controls and other official activities to ensure the application of food and feed law, animal health, and animal welfare rules, plant health, and plant protection products
Applications / Forms
- Forms: yes
- Written form required: yes
- In-person appearance required when submitting an application on site: no
- Online service: no
What else should I know?
The following are not considered “food”:
- Animal feed,
- live animals, unless they are intended for placing on the market for human consumption
have been prepared,
- Plants before harvest,
- Medicines,
- cosmetic products,
- Tobacco and tobacco products,
- Narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances,
What are my obligations as a food business operator?
Food business operators are responsible for complying with all food safety regulations. They are personally responsible for ensuring that the food they produce and/or distribute is safe (duty of care).
For more information on the other key obligations of food business operators, please refer to the European Commission’s information at the following link:
Additional Information