Registering food establishments
Food establishments are obliged to register and report significant changes in the work technology process or conversions. This applies to any facility you run or operate. It doesn't matter whether it's the processing, production or distribution of food. Food businesses are all establishments that produce, process, market, transport, etc., directly or via the Internet, food, and whether or not they are profit-oriented.
Food companies are, for example:
- Companies that only marginally carry food or dietary supplements in their range, such as petrol stations, pharmacies, drugstores and fitness studios
- Schools, kindergartens, old people's homes, clubhouses that regularly deliver food (canteens, kitchens, canteens)
- Food vending machine displays
- Bakeries, cafes, ice cream parlors, pastry shops, kiosks, snack bars, mini-markets
- Producers of food of animal origin
- Fisheries, crustaceans, shellfish and molluscs
- Restaurants
- Wholesalers, transporters, importers and exporters of foodstuffs
- Farms and winegrowers
- Agricultural holdings for the rearing or keeping of food-producing animals
- Food brokers (e.g. via the Internet)
- Milk treatment and milk processing plants
- mobile food trade including vending vehicles
- Primary producers of plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, cereals, herbs
- Establishments that distribute food free of charge, such as the food banks
- Events with catering, party service and catering
- Entrepreneurs who offer food on the Internet. It doesn't matter if they eat the food
- on your own homepage,
- via other providers or
- on marketplaces such as eBay or Amazon.
Process flow
- Use the form that may be available and send it to the responsible food control authority.
- In any case, the required information on the food establishment must be available for registration before the start of the activity, in case of doubt send the necessary information in writing to the competent food control authority
- The competent food control authority records the operating data.
- If there are any changes, in particular in the work technology process, or conversions, to the information or data already recorded, or if you would like to deregister your food business, please also contact the responsible food control authority.
Who should I contact?
Food Control Authority
Competent authority
The competent food control authorities in Lower Saxony are the districts, the Hanover region and the independent cities as well as the Zweckverband Veterinäramt Jade-Weser.
List of veterinary offices - Lower Saxony Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection
Requirements
- You have a business that produces, processes or distributes food.
- You have not yet started operations or there have been changes in the work technology process or conversions to the information or data already recorded, or you would like to deregister your food business.
Which documents are required?
- Application for registration: with form or informally
- Information on the name, address and legal form of the food business
- Legal form, name and address of the permanent establishment belonging to the company
- to be reported separately for each permanent establishment
- Information about the respective activity and the mode of operation
- to be reported separately for each permanent establishment
What are the fees?
Fee: free of charge
What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?
- The data and information on registration must be reported before the start of the activity.
- Significant changes in the work technology process or conversions must be reported immediately.
Applications / forms
- Forms: no
- Written form required: yes
- Personal appearance when applying on site: no
- Online service: no
Technically approved by
Lower Saxony Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection
Author
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
