Georgia’s strategic position at the crossroads of Europe and Asia and its liberalized business environment makes it an increasingly attractive market for investment in the food sector. Considering this, understanding the regulatory framework governing food facility registration is essential for both foreign and domestic investors seeking market access and long-term commercial viability.
The requirements depend on the type of food business, the products involved, and how those products are produced and supplied. In some cases, registering the economic activity is sufficient, while businesses involved in certain types of food production or processing may also need approval from the National Food Agency (“NFA”).
Overview of the Legal Framework
The principal legislative act is the Food/Feed Safety, Veterinary and Plant Protection Code of Georgia (the “Code”). The Code establishes unified principles of state regulation in food and feed safety, veterinary affairs and plant protection, with the stated purpose of protecting human life and health, consumer interests and animal and plant welfare.
The competent authority is the LEPL National Food Agency, operating under the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture. The NFA exercises state control over food and feed safety, veterinary and phytosanitary matters.
Under Article 13 of the Code, all business operators (persons whose activities relate to the production, processing, or distribution of food or feed) must register in the Registry of Economic Activities. Operators engaged in production and/or processing of food products of animal origin are additionally subject to mandatory recognition (approval) by the NFA. The Code also provides exemptions in certain cases, including household production, primary production, traditional methods, activities in high mountainous regions, and some small businesses supplying food directly to final consumers.
Registration Process
Registration in the Public Registry
Prior to operations, the business operator must register the activity in the Registry of Economic Activities. Applications may be submitted in person at the National Agency of Public Registry or electronically using an electronic signature. The application must specify the type of economic activity with corresponding codes and the business address.
Obtaining Approval from the National Food Agency
Where NFA recognition is required, the process generally involves the following steps:
Step 1: The operator submits an application to the NFA’s central office or territorial branches, specifying the trade name, legal form, identification number, place and type of economic activity.
Step 2: The NFA conducts an inspection within one month of receiving the application. The purpose of the inspection is to determine whether the facility, equipment, and operating conditions meet the applicable food safety requirements.
Step 3: Within 10 days of the inspection, the NFA grants full approval, conditional approval, or refusal.
Step 4: Where infrastructure and equipment meet requirements, but operations are not yet fully compliant, the NFA may grant conditional approval for one month, followed by a re-evaluation inspection.
Key Compliance Obligations
The key compliance obligations that the operators shall follow are:
- Operators must implement food safety procedures based on HACCP principles, identifying hazards, setting critical control points and limits, monitoring them, defining corrective actions and keeping records to verify the system works (Article 17¹);
- Traceability must be ensured at all stages of production, processing and distribution. The operators must maintain records and provide information to authorities upon request;
- All food for sale must be labeled per government regulations. Misleading labeling, advertising, or presentation is prohibited (Article 18).
- Operators must ensure compliance at all stages, withdraw non-compliant products and notify the NFA of corrective measures (Article 18¹).
Penalties for Non-Compliance
The Code sets out a graduated system of fines, generally lower for small business operators and higher for repeat offenses. Operating without required registration brings a fine of GEL 100 (small business) or GEL 500 (other operators) plus suspension of activity; operating without required recognition brings GEL 500 or GEL 1,000, also with suspension.
For safety violations found during inspections, low-risk non-compliance that doesn’t require halting production starts at a GEL 200-500 fine for ignoring an inspector’s instruction, rising to GEL 1,000 with suspension if not corrected in time. High-risk non-compliance that can’t be resolved without stopping production carries a GEL 1,000 fine and suspension until fixed, rising to GEL 5,000 on repetition. Ignoring an Agency order to suspend production, block market placement, or withdraw/destroy products carries a separate GEL 5,000 fine.
Labeling and consumer-information violations range from GEL 200-500 (general information rules, animal feed labeling), rising to GEL 1,000 on repetition. Placing expired food or feed on the market carries a GEL 200-500 fine plus mandatory market withdrawal, rising to GEL 3,000 on repetition.
Beyond these fines, the NFA retains broader authority to suspend operations, block market placement and order withdrawal of non-compliant products.
Food facility registration in Georgia is a structured regulatory process demanding careful attention from investors and operators. The applicable requirements depend on the nature of the business and the products involved, and some operators may need both registration of their economic activity and recognition by the NFA.
Businesses should therefore determine the applicable requirements before beginning operations and make sure that their facilities, labeling, food safety procedures are ready for ongoing compliance.