Sanitary approval of food establishments
Mandatory for establishments preparing or processing foods of animal origin and supplying them to other businesses (wholesalers, central kitchens, cutting plants…).
Issued by: The département prefect, on review by the DDPP (EC regulation no. 853/2004)
Processing plants (meat, fish, dairy, eggs), central kitchens, caterers supplying professionals, temperature-controlled warehouses.
What this scheme covers
- C.1Prior sanitary authorisation of the establishment, shown as an approval number inside the oval identification mark on products.
- C.2An application built on the sanitary control plan: premises and process description, HACCP, traceability, cleaning plan.
- C.3A possible exemption for marginal supply to other retailers, within quantity and distance limits set by the rules.
The link with Qualiopi
Unrelated to vocational training: it is an operating approval. It does mirror Qualiopi's logic in its own sector though: without the pass, no market access (here, selling to other businesses).
The process, summarised
- 1.Check whether the activity requires approval, the exemption, or simple declaration (direct sale to consumers).
- 2.Prepare the file (official form + full sanitary control plan) and submit it to the DDPP.
- 3.Host the inspection visit; approval may be conditional before becoming final, then remains subject to inspections.
FAQ — Sanitary approval
+Does a restaurant need sanitary approval?
No, as long as it serves the end consumer directly: it falls under declaration and hygiene-package compliance. Approval targets sales to other businesses.
+What is the approval exemption?
A lighter regime letting a retail business supply a limited share of its animal-product output to other local shops, within regulatory quantity and distance caps, upon simple declaration.
+Can approval be suspended?
Yes: after serious findings at inspection, the authorities can suspend or withdraw approval, which in practice bars supplying other businesses.
- Refusal, Suspension, Withdrawal: The Mistakes That Cost a Sanitary Approval8 min
- Obtaining French Sanitary Approval in 2026: The DDPP File Step by Step8 min
- The Oval Identification Mark: What Is the Sanitary Approval Number For?7 min
- Exemption from French Sanitary Approval: Thresholds, Distance, Conditions 20268 min
- French Sanitary Approval: Is It Mandatory for Your Business? Who Is Covered7 min
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