1. What is a Food Business?
A 'food business' means any undertaking, whether for profit or not and whether public or private, carrying out any of the activities related to any stage of production, processing and distribution of food. Please also note that the term 'food' includes drink.
2. What is a Food Business Operator?
A 'Food Business Operator' is the natural or legal persons responsible for ensuring that the requirements of food law are met within the food business under their control.
3. What must be Registered?
Registration is free.
Most food businesses need to register all of their premises with their local authority before opening (or before starting to use new premises). The legal requirement to register is found in Article 6(2) of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs. The law requires that food business operator must register their establishments (ie each separate unit of their food business that carries out any of the stages of production, processing and distribution of food) with their local authority. It would include for example: 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.
Registration allows local authorities to keep an up-to-date list of food premises in their area so that they can plan inspections and target advice and other food safety activities. The frequency of inspection or other types of contact will depend on the type of businesses.
4. How do I Register?
To register, simply fill in this form, sign it and send it to Ipswich Borough Council's Food Safety Team.
If you use premises in more than one council area you must register each establishment with each council separately. Moveable establishments, such as ice cream vans, burger vans etc., should be registered by the food business operator with the council in whose area the vehicle is normally kept.
Please ensure you tick all the boxes which apply to your business, answer all the questions and give all the information requested. Seasonal businesses operating only for a certain period each year should give the dates between which they will be open in answer to Question 11.
It is an offence to give information which you know is false. Incomplete/unsigned forms will be returned to you.
If you require any assistance in completing this form please call 01473 433019, 8.45am – 4.45pm Monday to Thursday and 8.45am – 4.30pm on Fridays. Please ask for a member of the Food Safety team.
Registration is free and cannot be refused. Establishments must be registered 28 days before they are brought into use.
5. What Happens to the Information Given on the Form?
We will enter the details on our database. Ipswich Borough Council is required to keep a list of food business establishments registered with them. This list is available for inspection by the general public at all reasonable times. The list contains the following information about each food business:
- Name of food business operator
- Name of food business
- Address of the food business establishment
- Particulars and nature of the food business
We might give or send a copy of their list or any entry on it to any person who makes a request for such information.
The Council must have regard to the Data Protection Act 1990 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in relation to any information which it holds.
6. What Happens if I Close the Food Business or Change How I Operate?
Food business operators must ensure the Council always has up-to-date information on their food business establishments and must notify the authority of any significant changes of activity, or closure. Such notifications should be made, preferably in writing and before the changes occur, and in any event no later than 28 days after the change has occurred.
Notification of a change to the operator of a food business establishment should be made by the new business operator.
These notes are provided for information only and should not be regarded as a complete statement of the law.