Change of food business operator: approval of establishments

The FSA must re-assess for approval all establishments that have changed FBO since 2006 and have not subsequently been re-approved.

The approval assessment will be undertaken as soon as possible, and in all cases within three weeks of receiving an approval application from the new FBO. This timescale, however, only starts once the change of FBO has occurred.

In planning for a change of FBO, a pre-change advisory assessment can be provided by the FSA to help identify any potential issues that may cause a problem in getting a new approval. This is by no means a guarantee that approval will be granted following a new approval assessment, and will require the co-operation of the existing FBO.

The attached guidance and example scenarios explains in more detail how the FSA will implement this process in slaughterhouses, meat cutting plants, game handling establishments and on-farm slaughter facilities. A summary of the FSA’s consultation with interested parties is also attached. Other competent authorities across the UK, which are responsible for the approval of food/feed establishments, have been asked to take a similar approach for establishments for which they have enforcement responsibility.