Sanitary certificate: knowledge, not a government request
Anyone working with food must be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge of food safety. This proof is called a sanitary certificate, also known as HACCP knowledge certificate. You obtain it through external training, or it may already be held by an employee who completed the training before. The certificate is personal and has no legal expiry date, although a refresh every few years is recommended.
FAVV authorisation: a government request
Beyond the sanitary certificate, your business itself must be registered with FAVV. Which route applies depends on the risk of your activity: registration for low risk, authorisation for most food service businesses, approval for high-risk activities such as meat processing. Only approval is limited to 3 years' validity. The annual FAVV contribution ranges from €49.24 to €3,433.82.This amount depends on your activity, your business size and number of employees.
Important:a sanitary certificate does not replace FAVV authorisation, and vice versa. You need both, and without authorisation you cannot offer food products before your business opens.
We handle this for you
The exact route you need depends on your activity and FAVV's risk assessment. Connect Inn identifies this for your business, prepares the file and submits the request. You won't be without authorisation on opening day. Book an appointment and we'll go through what documents you need together.