Food retail, mandatory reporting / registration

Under European law, food business operators are required to register if they are not already registered with the competent authority. Registration is handled by the competent food safety authorities in the counties and independent cities.

In addition to registering before commencing operations, the following significant changes must also be reported:

• the closure of the business, or
• a change in the food business operator’s personal or address information,
• a change in the name or address of business premises,
• a change in the type of business or activity
• Expansion of the product range

The notification must be submitted within one month of the change occurring.

This applies to every facility you manage or operate. All businesses that produce, process, store, or distribute food—either directly or online—are subject to registration, regardless of whether they are for-profit or not.

Examples of food businesses include (this list is not exhaustive):

• Restaurants, snack bars, kiosks
• Artisanal and industrial producers (e.g., bakeries, pastry shops, butcher shops)
• farms and wineries
• Businesses that carry food only as a minor part of their product range, such as gas stations, pharmacies, drugstores, and fitness centers that carry food, dietary supplements, or special-diet foods
• Businesses that distribute food free of charge, such as food banks
• Businesses that act solely as brokers
• Schools, kindergartens, nursing homes, and clubhouses that regularly distribute food (school cafeterias, canteens)
• Businesses that sell food online. It does not matter whether they sell the food
  • on their own website,
  • through other providers, or
  • on marketplaces such as eBay or Amazon.
• Supermarkets, convenience stores,
• Operators of food vending machines
• Producers of food of animal origin
• Fisheries, crustacean, shellfish, and mollusk operations
• Food wholesalers, transporters, importers, and exporters
• Mobile food vendors, including food trucks
• Primary producers of plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and herbs
• Party planning and catering services

• Name and address of the facility and, if applicable, any other facilities; legal form
• Personal and contact information of the responsible food business operator
• Type of operation / activities
• Information on the product range (product categories) and scope

Please use the form provided for this purpose whenever possible.

• Fee: Free of charge
  There are no fees for registration by the food control authorities

• The registration data and information must be submitted before commencing operations.
• Significant changes to work processes or structural modifications must be reported immediately.