The process is application-based. Through an on-site inspection, we verify that the facilities meet the relevant hygiene requirements to ensure the protection of public health. Approval of the facilities is contingent upon meeting certain requirements to reduce the risk of contamination within the facility where the sprouts are produced.

Upon approval, your facility will also receive the approval number required for intra-Community trade.

Your establishment is authorized in accordance with Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No. 210/2013 and Article 6(3) of Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004. Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 contains general hygiene requirements for food that you, as the person responsible for the food business, must comply with, including during primary production and related operations.

You, as the person responsible for the establishment, or persons appointed by you, must possess the necessary reliability to manage the establishment.

The approval process begins when you submit the required documents to the locally competent district administrative authority (district administration or independent city). This authority conducts a preliminary review and forwards the application to the Rhineland-Palatinate State Investigation Office. After the application is submitted and the preliminary review is completed, an on-site inspection is conducted to verify whether your facility meets the relevant food safety requirements in each specific case. Upon approval, your facility will also receive the approval number required for intra-Community trade. 

Commission Regulation (EU) No 210/2013 on the approval of sprout production establishments in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (opens in a new tab)

Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the hygiene of foodstuffs (opens in a new tab)

Regulation (EU) No. 2017/625 on official controls (opens in a new tab)

• Facility Overview with Supplement
• Documents specifying the use of space
• If applicable, a true-to-scale floor plan showing material and personnel flow as well as machine layout (depending on the size of the business and not required for craft-based businesses)
• Proof of the reliability of the person responsible for the food business
• If applicable: Certificate of Good Conduct, extract from the Central Trade Register, self-declaration

Application for the Licensing of a Food Establishment

• Appendix to the Application: General Information on the Business
• Supplement to the business profile, offspring
• Appendix to the application, self-disclosure
• Confirmation of the transfer of food safety responsibility to the responsible person
• Statement by the responsible person of the food business regarding the revocation of the license
• Application/notification of changes regarding the approval of food establishments