Food Safety Certificate for Business Households: Procedures

Food safety certificate for business households is a condition that helps business households ensure compliance with legal regulations, avoid penalties and improve reputation with customers if required to apply for a permit. This certification not only confirms product quality but also creates peace of mind for consumers, helping business to stabilize and develop sustainably. Understanding the procedures will help business households apply for a license quickly and smoothly.

Do business households have to apply for a food safety certificate?

According to the provisions of Clause 1, Article 11, Clause 1, Article 12 Decree 15/2018/ND-CP, all food production and business establishments must have a Certificate of eligibility for food safety (Food Safety Certificate) when operating, except for the following cases:

• Initial production was small;
• Food production and trading without a fixed location;
• Small preliminary processing;
• Small food business;
• Trading in pre-packaged foods;
• Producing and trading in tools and materials for packaging and storing food;
• Restaurants in hotels;
• The collective kitchen does not have a registered food business;
• Street food business;
• The facility has been granted one of the following Certificates: Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), ISO 22000 Food Safety Management System, International Food Standards (IFS), Global Standards for Food Safety (BRC), Food Safety System Certification (FSSC 22000) or a valid equivalent.

On the other hand, Clause 10, Article 3 of Decree 15/2018/ND-CP stipulates: A small food business establishment is an establishment registered by an individual, group of individuals, or household and the establishment is not granted a Business Registration Certificate or Enterprise Registration Certificate or Investment Certificate according to the provisions of law.

Thus, food business households that do not carry out production activities do not need to apply for a food safety certificate when operating.

However, food business households must comply with the conditions to ensure food safety specified in Clause 1, Article 22 of the Law on Food Safety 2010. Specifically as follows:

• Have a safe distance from toxic and polluting sources;
• There is enough water that meets technical standards to serve food production and business;
• Have appropriate equipment to produce and trade food that is not toxic or polluting to food;
• Using raw materials, chemicals, food additives, food processing aids, tools, packaging materials, and food containers in food preparation, processing, and preservation;
• Comply with regulations on health, knowledge and practices of people directly involved in food production and trading;
• Collect and treat waste in accordance with the law on environmental protection;
• Maintain conditions to ensure food safety and store information related to purchases and sales to ensure traceability of food origin.

Therefore, although food business households do not need to apply for a Food Safety Certificate, they must still carry out procedures to apply for a food safety commitment with the competent authority to ensure that their establishment meets all legal conditions and goes into operation.

Legal basis: Clause 1 of Official Dispatch 3109/BCT-KHCN 2018 takes effect on April 20, 2018.

Application for food safety commitment

The business owner prepares a set of documents to apply for a food safety commitment as follows:

1. 2 copies of commitment to comply with food safety regulations;
2. Notarized, authenticated copy of business registration certificate;
3. Notarized, authenticated copy of the health certificate of the facility owner and employees directly involved in the facility’s production and business activities (attached with the original for comparison);
4. Notarized or authenticated copy of the food safety knowledge certificate of the facility owner and employees directly producing and doing business at the facility (some provinces and cities do not require it).

Procedures for applying for a Food Safety Certificate for business households

Competent authority

The application for a food hygiene and safety commitment will be submitted to the People’s Committee of the district where the business is registered. The district-level People’s Committee will transfer the file to the competent professional agency for resolution. Specifically:

• The Food Safety Management Board manages establishments with a business scale of over 200 meals/service.
• The People’s Committee (or other competent authority) at district, town and provincial city levels manages food service establishments with an operating scale of 50 – 200 meals/service.
• Commune, ward and town health stations manage food service establishments with an operating scale of less than 50 meals per serving or street food business.

Grant process

The process of applying for a food safety and hygiene commitment for food businesses includes the following steps:

Step 1: The business owner participates in training on food safety knowledge at the District Food Safety and Hygiene Department.

Step 2: Business owners and employees directly involved in business activities must register for a health examination at the hospital and be issued a certificate of good health according to regulations.

Step 3: Proceed with the procedure to apply for a food safety commitment:

• The business household owner submits 1 set of documents to the competent authority;
• After submitting the application, the competent authority will accept and process the application within about 5 working days;
• In case the dossier is invalid, the facility will receive a written request to amend and supplement the dossier.

The food safety commitment of food service production and business establishments is only valid for 3 years. Therefore, 6 months before the commitment expires, the business owner needs to carry out procedures to apply for a reissue.

Full food safety commitment application service

The food safety commitment application service at Long Phan helps business households and businesses carry out procedures quickly and in accordance with regulations, ensuring legal operations and avoiding risks.

1. Consulting on Conditions & Who Needs to Apply for a Commitment:

• Identify business establishments that must commit to food safety
• Advise on conditions that need to be met to ensure compliance with legal regulations.

2. Drafting & Preparing Commitment Documents
3. Submit Documents & Work With Authorities:

• Customer representatives submit applications at the district-level People’s Committee or specialized management agencies on a case-by-case basis.
• Monitor the approval process and process documents quickly.
• Support for supplementing and adjusting documents if requested by management agencies.

4. Support After Completion of Commitment:

• Consulting businesses/business households on food safety compliance obligations after signing the commitment.
• Instructions for internal inspection and supervision to avoid violations of food safety regulations.
• Support for applying for additional licenses when expanding business scale or converting operating models.

Food safety certificate forbBusiness households only applies to establishments that require certification. Small food business households do not need to apply for this type of paper. In fact, you only need to ask for a food safety commitment. This helps create trust with customers, ensure product quality and maintain sustainable business operations. With support services from Long Phan, business households will complete procedures quickly, according to regulations and avoid risks. Contact the hotline 0906735386 immediately for advice and support in applying for an effective license!