Application Process
The following information is required in order to process an application for approval:
- Application form
- Description of the (proposed) food safety management system based on HACCP principles
- Description of the (proposed) establishment and equipment maintenance arrangements
- Description of the (proposed) establishment, equipment, and transport cleaning arrangements
- Description of the (proposed) waste collection and disposal arrangements
- Description of the (proposed) water supply
- Description of the (proposed) water supply quality testing arrangements
- Description of the (proposed) arrangements for product testing
- Description of the (proposed) pest control arrangements
- Description of the (proposed) monitoring arrangements for staff health
- Description of the (proposed) staff hygiene training arrangements
- Description of the (proposed) arrangements for record keeping
- Detailed scale plan of the (proposed) establishment showing the location of rooms and other areas to be used for the storage and processing of raw materials, product and waste, and the layout of facilities and equipment
Information that is not submitted at this time will delay the processing of your application.
Once an application has been received an officer from the commercial team will arrange to visit the premises and will want to understand the food processing intended. Approval may at this stage be granted either fully or conditionally for three months.
Where a conditional approval is granted you will be informed in writing about the terms of the approval. If at the end of the three months you have complied with the terms of the approval you can then expect a further visit, whereupon you will either be granted full approval, a further three months conditional approval (conditional approval shall not exceed a total of six months) 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 to make it clear that approval has been granted. The approval will be notified to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) who maintain a national database of all Approved milk and dairy premises and all Approved meat products premises.
Determination of the application will require a site visit and an officer will contact you within 14 days of receipt of the completed application in order to arrange this.
You will be advised in writing within 28 days following the determination of your application for approval.