Food Production, Quality and Registration

What is registration?

Registration of premises used for a food business (including market stalls, delivery vehicles and other moveable structures) is required by law. There are no specific exemptions to this requirement. Registration will allow local authorities to keep an up-to-date list of all those premises in their area so they can visit them when they need to. The frequency of the visits will depend on the type of business.

Who needs to register?

If you run a food business you must tell (or arrange for someone else to tell) the local authority about any premises you use for storing, selling, distributing or preparing food. Food premises include restaurants, hotels, cafes, shops, supermarkets, staff canteens, kitchens in offices, warehouses, guest houses, delivery vehicles, buffet cars on trains, market and other stalls, hot dog and ice cream vans etc.

If you use vehicles for your food business in connection with permanent premises, such as a shop or warehouse, you only need to tell the local authority how many vehicles you have. You do not need to register each vehicle separately. If you have one or more vehicles but no permanent premises, you must tell the authority where they are normally kept.

Although there are no specific exemptions the Council will probably not require registration of a vending machine by itself, for example. You should contact your local authority if you think you might be in this or a similar category.

Who needs to seek Approval?

If you intend to manufacture foods and will use raw products of animal origin amongst the ingredients you will almost certainly require Approval. In these circumstances you will need further information from the Food Team.