Approval of Food Premises

If you operate food premises you may need to be approved by the local authority where the establishment is based.

Generally those food businesses who manufacture meat, dairy, fish or egg products and who supply to other premises (even premises within their own ownership) as a significant part of their overall business will require formal Approval instead of registration.  There are however certain exemptions to Approval.

You should contact your local authority to see if you require approval:

- meat processing plants
- meat preparation plants
- minced meat processing operations and mechanically separated meat processing plants
- cold stores

No provision in legislation

• A summary of the regulation relating to this licence

Approval involves making an application to us.  There is no charge involved for the application or Approval and generally the Approval is a one-off procedure.  The application must be supported by certain food safety processing information.  Once we receive your application, an officer from the Food Safety Team will arrange to visit the premises and will want to understand the processing intended.  Approval may at this stage be granted either fully or conditionally for three (3) months. 

Where a conditional Approval is granted you will be informed in writing about the terms of the Conditional Approval.  If at the end of the three months you have complied with the terms of the Conditional Approval you can then expect a further visit, whereupon you will either be granted Full Approval, a further three (3) months Conditional Approval or you will be refused Approval.  At all stages you can expect to be kept fully informed as to the status of your Approval.  Where Approval is either refused or only conditional you also have certain rights of appeal.

Those premises who receive Full Approval will be allocated a unique identification mark (an oval mark) which should then be applied to labelling or packaging on products.  The Approval will be notified to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) who maintain a national database of all Approved premises.

No. It is in the public interest that the authority must process your application before it can be granted. If you have not heard from the local authority within a reasonable period, please contact it. You can do this online if you applied through the UK Welcomes service or use the contact details below.

Use this link to make on-line application through the UK's "Business Link" portal:

• Apply for "Approval" of food premises
• Tell us about a change to your existing food premises Approval

Please contact your Local Authority in the first instance.

Please contact your Local Authority in the first instance.

We would always advise that in the event of a complaint the first contact is made with the trader by you - preferably in the form a letter (with proof of delivery). If that has not worked, if you are located in the UK, Consumer Direct will give you advice. From outside the UK contact the UK European Consumer Centre.

• Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland (LMC)

• National Association of Catering Butchers (NACB)

• National Federation of Meat and Food Traders

• Food Standard Agency's website