How do you apply for activities at the FASFC?

How do you apply for activities at the FASFC?

You must apply for activities at the FASFC not only as a food producer, but also as a seller or transporter of foodstuffs. A correct activity application at the FASFC is necessary to comply with the legislation. We explain step by step how to do this and what information you should have at hand.

How do you submit an application?

1. Find the activity in the FASFC activity list

You can find the list on their website. An operator must submit an application for recognition, authorisation, or registration to the FASFC for all listed activities. Select the correct activity.

2. Fill in the application form

You can find the application form on the FASFC website or via Foodweb (using your personal login). An activity consists of three parts: a location code (PL), an activity code (AC), and a product code (PR). Therefore, for every activity you wish to apply for, you need three codes. You must enter these codes on the application form.

You can find the location codes, activity codes, and product codes on the activity sheets. Read on for more information about activity sheets.

3. Send the application form to an LCE or submit your application via Foodweb

LCE stands for Local Control Unit. Send the completed form to the LCE corresponding to your company's location. The contact details can be found on the FASFC website.

What information can you find on an activity sheet?

The activity sheet is the technical sheet for the activity. As an example, we show the sheet for a manufacturer of meat preparations. You can find the codes you need for the application form on the right.

The activity sheet also contains other information:

• The self-monitoring guide that accompanies the activity sheet
• Definitions of the activity sheet
• Mandatory activities are examples of activities that your company can perform.
• Implicit activities are part of the relevant activity sheet
• Consequential activities cannot be performed separately, but can be a consequence of a specific sheet. Consequential activities must be applied for separately.
• Related activities often go hand in hand with the sheet and must also be applied for separately.

What happens after submitting your application?

As soon as the Local Control Unit has received your application, they have 30 working days to carry out the administrative investigation. Any on-site inspection will also take place within those 30 working days.

What is the difference between recognition, authorisation, and registration?

Are you applying for recognition? If so, it must be approved before you start operations. After an initial inspection, you will receive provisional recognition. A second inspection will follow after three months. If you meet all the conditions and rules, you will receive definitive recognition. You can only carry out the activity after receiving recognition. For this, you also need an approved site plan. More information regarding site plans can be found in circular PCCB/S3/1807316 (15/03/2024).

Are you applying for authorisation? If the FASFC does not conduct an investigation within 30 working days, you will automatically receive the authorisation. Are you applying for registration? The process is automatic.

The posters for registration and authorisation (B2C) will be sent within one month. You can also consult them via Foodweb. You are required to display the posters. For B2B registration or authorisation, only a letter will be sent, not posters.

The number of inspections carried out by the FASFC depends on the sector, the risk, previous inspections, and whether or not a validated self-monitoring system is in place. You can read more information about inspection frequency in our blog ‘Changes to the Royal Decree regarding FASFC inspection frequency’.

Do you have any further questions? Can we help with filling out an application form, selecting the correct activity sheet, or drawing up a floor plan?