Lewes District Council

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Environmental Health
Lewes District Council
Southover House
Southover Road
Lewes
East Sussex
BN7 1AB


Tel: 01273 484354
ehealth@lewes.gov.uk
Minicom 01273 484488

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• Register Of Licences

External Links

• Food Standards Agency

Approval Food Premises Licences

Whilst many food businesses only have to register with the Local Authority to operate, some food businesses are required by law to have ‘approval’ from the local Food Authority.

For some food businesses such as meat cutting plants, the approval is issued by the Meat Hygiene Service on behalf of the Food Standards Agency. For other food businesses the Local Authority is the Food Authority.

Relevant businesses in Lewes district therefore require approval from us in order to operate legally.

Who Should Apply

Any business that undertakes wholesale activities that use the following ingredients, by way of handling or manufacture, in products for human consumption are subject to approval by the Local Authority: 

• minced meat, 
• meat preparations, 
• mechanically separated meat, 
• meat products, 
• live bivalve molluscs, 
• fishery products, 
• raw milk (other than cows milk), 
• dairy products, 
• eggs (except primary production), 
• egg products, 
• frogs legs, 
• snails, 
• rendered animal fats and greaves, 
• treated stomachs, bladders and intestines, 
• gelatin and collagen.

Typical businesses that will require approval include:

• Shellfish purification centres
• Meat pie manufacturers
• Cold stores and chilled or frozen food distributors

There are exemptions which apply to some businesses:

• Retail only businesses where the retail is on the same site as production
• Businesses that have a genuine retail element and who sell their produce locally

There are qualifications to the exemptions and food businesses operators should contact our Commercial Team for further advice if you think an exemption may apply.