Food Business License Application in China

According to the related rules and regulations, anyone that plans to engage in food sales or provide catering services within the territory of the People's Republic of China shall obtain food business licenses with the local administration for market regulation.

Food business license shall be subject to the principle of one license for one place, that is, a food business operator that engages in food business activities shall obtain a food business license for each business premise.

Application and Acceptance

Those who apply for food business licenses shall firstly obtain business licenses and other qualifications as a lawful subject.

A food business license application shall be filed based on the business types of the food business operator and the category of the business item.

By business types, food business operators are categorized into:

1. Food sellers;

2. Catering service providers;

3. and entities' canteens.

1. Sales of pre-packed foods (including or excluding refrigerated or frozen foods);

2. Sales of unpacked foods (including or excluding refrigerated or frozen foods);

3. Sales of special foods (health foods, formula foods for special medical purposes, infant formula milk powder, and other infant formula foods);

4. Sales of other types of foods;

5. Production and sales of hot foods, cold foods, raw foods, pastry foods, self-made beverage, and other types of foods.

1. It shall have places for food raw material treatment and food processing, sales, and storage, among others, which shall be commensurate with the varieties and quantities of the foods distributed by it, keep the environment of these places tidy and clean, and ensure that these places maintain a prescribed distance from toxic and hazardous sites and other pollution sources.

2. It shall have distribution equipment or facilities commensurate with the varieties and quantities of the foods distributed by it, and have corresponding equipment or facilities for disinfection, changing clothes, sanitation, day-lighting, illumination, ventilation, anti-corrosion, anti-dust, anti-fly, rat proof, mothproof, washing, disposal of waste water, and storage of garbage and waste.

3. It shall have full-time or part-time food safety managers and have rules and regulations for ensuring food safety.

4. It shall have a reasonable equipment layout and technical flowchart to prevent cross pollution between foods to be processed and ready-to-eat foods and between raw materials and finished products and to prevent foods from contacting toxic substances or unclean articles.

5. Other conditions as prescribed by laws and regulations.