We must provide approval for any business that sells unprocessed animal products – including eggs, dairy and meat. This is necessary for the safeguarding of businesses, the general public and standards of food in the area.
These products include:
Meat:
- minced meat
- meat preparations
- mechanically separated meat
- meat products
Fish and shellfish:
- live bi-valve molluscs
- fishery products
Dairy:
- raw milk (other than raw cows’ milk)
- dairy products
- eggs (not primary production)
- egg products
Other:
- frogs' legs and snails
- rendered animal fats and greases
- treated stomachs, bladders and intestines
- gelatin and collagen
- certain cold stores
- certain wholesale markets
More information from GOV.UK about your food safety responsibilities.
How to get approval
Call us and ask for an inspector to visit your premises.
You’ll need to complete the form we send you and give us a scale plan telling us your arrangements for the following:
- waste collection and disposal
- water supply quality testing
- product testing (shelf life/microbiological/water)
- pest control
- monitoring staff health and staff hygiene training
- record keeping
- applying the identification mark to product packaging or wrapping
Once approved, we'll issue you with an approval number. It makes up part of the standard identification mark that you must put on your products and documentation. It looks like an oval mark containing the unique three-digit approval number that can be traced back to your business.