Food control - register as a food business

Every food business is obliged under EU law,

  • to register and to
  • notify any significant changes.

A special form of registration of businesses that process or handle products of animal origin is approval according to EU-wide rules.
The competent food control authorities provide information on whether approval is required in individual cases and which procedural steps must be followed.

Agricultural businesses are not required to register if

  • they supply only small quantities of self-produced primary products, such as unprocessed fruit and vegetables, honey or eggs, to the final consumer or to local retail shops, or
  • they produce for their private domestic use.

Related forms and processes

Prerequisite

  • You have a business that produces, processes or distributes food.
    This includes
    • Restaurants,
    • artisanal and industrial producers
    • farms and winegrowers
    • Businesses that sell food only marginally, such as petrol stations, pharmacies, drugstores and fitness studios
    • Businesses that distribute food free of charge, such as food banks
    • Businesses that are pure brokers
    • Schools, kindergartens, old people's homes, club houses that regularly sell food (canteens, cafeterias)
    • Businesses that offer food on the internet.
      It does not matter whether they offer the food
      • on their own homepage,
      • via other suppliers or
      • on marketplaces such as eBay or Amazon.
  • Your business exists with a certain continuity and has a certain degree of organisation.
    This is often not the case, for example, with club parties and similar events.
    In case of doubt, check with the competent authority.
  • Your business is not yet registered with the competent authority or there have been changes to the data already registered or you wish to deregister your food business.

Responsible department

each lower food supervisory authority

Lower food control authority is,

  • if you live in a city district: the city administration
  • if you live in a rural district: the district administration office.

Procedure

Register in writing.

Use the form provided and fill it out completely.

Send it to the competent office by e-mail, post or fax.

If you send it by e-mail, you can dispense with the signature.

The competent body will record the data and draw up a list of food businesses.

The list of registered food businesses is not published.

You will not receive any feedback or confirmation that registration has taken place.

Note: Agricultural enterprises applying for agricultural subsidies in the "Common Application" agree that the official food control may use their data on the type and extent of animal husbandry as well as the use and extent of land for fodder or food production.
The information on the applicant and the enterprise will be used to update the list of registered holdings in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 (Food Hygiene Regulation).

Deadlines

promptly, within 4 weeks at the latest

Required documents

if there are several permanent establishments: a separate form for each permanent establishment

Costs

none

Note: The Authority will not reimburse you for the costs of submitting the declaration, such as postage.

Miscellaneous

For further information on official food monitoring in Baden-Württemberg, please visit the websites of

Appeal

none

Legal basis

Verordnung (EG) Nr. 852/2004 des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates vom 29. April 2004 über Lebensmittelhygiene:

  • Artikel 1 Abs. 2 und Artikel 6 Abs. 1 bis 3

Verordnung (EU) 2017/625 des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates vom 15. März 2017 über amtliche Kontrollen und andere amtliche Tätigkeiten zur Gewährleistung der Anwendung des Lebens- und Futtermittelrechts und der Vorschriften über Tiergesundheit und Tierschutz, Pflanzengesundheit und Pflanzenschutzmittel:

  • Artikel 15 Abs. 5

Release note

machine generated, based on the German release by: Ministerium für Ernährung, Ländlichen Raum und Verbraucherschutz Baden-Württemberg, 28.06.2024