If you run or intend to start up a food business which handles unprocessed products of animal origin and you supply/sell to another food business such as a wholesaler, you may need to be approved rather than be registered.
Unprocessed products of animal origin include: fresh and frozen meat:
Minced meat
Meat preparations
Mechanically separated meat
Meat products
Live Bi Valve Molluscs
Fishery products
Raw milk
Dairy products
Egg products
Frogs legs and snails
Rendered animal fats and greaves
Treated stomachs, bladders and intestines
Gelatine and collagen
If your food business requires approval there are a number of requirements which need to be followed. You must not operate until your food operation has been approved by this authority or by the Food Standards Agency. It is an offence to operate without approval. There are a number of exemptions that may not require your business to be approved - for example if you are a retailer. In which case you must register your food business instead.
What do I do next?
If you think your proposed food business may need approval please contact us to discuss your plans. We will refer you to the Food Standards Agency if your proposed food business is a slaughterhouse, a cutting plant or a game handling establishment as they are the ‘approving’ authority. If we establish that your type of business require approval by us, we will arrange for a visit to your proposed premises. At the visit there may need to be a planned programme of works in order to achieve approval and you and/or your employees may need to gain further training proportionate to the size and nature of your business.
An Approval application form will be sent to you and there will be a certain amount of information required to be sent back with the completed form which will include a detailed scale plan and a description of the proposed arrangements of your business. Such as:
Waste collection and disposal arrangements
Water supply quality testing arrangements
Arrangements for product testing - shelf life/microbiological/water
Pest control arrangements
Arrangements for monitoring staff health and staff hygiene training
Record keeping
Applying the identification mark to product packaging or wrapping
Once your business is approved the local authority will issue your establishment with a unique appproval number which makes up part of the standard identification mark which must be applied to your products and documentation. This is in the form of an oval mark containing the unique 3 digit approval number which ensures that the products are traceable back to your company.
Contact us
Contact details for the Environmental Health team| Information | Contact |
| Email: | environmental.health@wokingham.gov.uk |
| Telephone: | 0118 974 6765 |
| Address: | Environmental Health PO Box 155, Shute End Wokingham Berkshire RG40 1WW |
