You have a passion for fresh food and building community. You’ve already written (or are currently writing) a top-notch grocery store business plan. Now, it’s time for the not-so-fun part: making sure your store meets grocery store certification standards.
Grocery store licensing and certification requirements can vary widely by state or even county — but there are some general rules of thumb that almost every grocery store owner has to follow.
In this article, we’ll give you resources for looking up specific grocery store certification standards in your area, and provide an overview of licenses and certifications every new grocery store owner needs to know.
Grocery store certification standards are almost entirely set at the local level. So, unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to which specific grocery store certifications you need.
See our list as an introduction — a solid overview of grocery store certifications most locations need to know.
Once you have a better idea of what you’re looking at, search for your area’s specific laws. Start with the Food and Drug Administration’s list of food service codes and regulations. You can also check out the helpful list on FoodSafePal.
Important note: You only need to get federal food safety licensing if you plan to sell products you make across state lines. For the most part, the FDA doesn’t regulate local grocery stores.
While specific grocery store certification standards might vary by state, there are still general ones to be aware of before you open a grocery store.
We’ll break down the list by:
Let’s jump in.
Essentially, all grocery stores need some form of these licenses to operate:
You can apply for most of these licenses through local tax and regulatory agencies.
Most grocery stores don’t only sell packaged goods or produce. If you plan to sell sliced meat from a deli, hot coffee, or any other prepared foods, you need a food handler’s license (aka, a food processing license).
Usually, a food handler certificate is required for every employee working in relevant departments (e.g., deli or quick service kitchen). It ensures your staff knows key food safety information, like:
Even in states where a food handler’s permit isn’t required, it’s generally a good idea to make sure your employees follow food safety best practices.
Some, but not all, states require an additional meat and poultry handling license if you sell raw meat of any kind — and since most grocery stores include a butcher counter or deli, it’s a must-have for most.
Sometimes, this only pertains to stores that prepare their own meat. In other words, if you have prep spaces where you slice your own steaks or deli meats, you’re more likely to need this license.
This license may be included with a food handler’s license (more on that below) or be separate. As always, check your state and county for details.
In addition to a retail food license, you need to apply for additional licenses if you plan to sell liquor or tobacco.
Generally speaking, getting a tobacco license is straightforward and relatively inexpensive.
Liquor licenses, on the other hand, can be more complicated. Many states offer specific liquor licenses for grocery and convenience stores (which often dictate which types of liquor you can sell). For example, in Colorado and several other states, you can only sell beer and wine in grocery stores, not hard liquor.
Make sure you know any restrictions on your grocery store liquor license before stocking your shelves.
The Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) requires retailers to get a PACA license if they:
For the most part, this license is for grocery wholesalers, regional distributors, or very large stores. However, it’s worth keeping in mind as your business grows.
Currently, a PACA license costs $995 per year, plus $600 per location or business facility.
Let’s move on from licenses you have to have to operate and onto certifications that can boost your business’ reputation and improve your food retail know-how.
First, create an HACCP plan for your store. HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, and is a voluntary process many grocery stores undertake to identify potential food hazards and keep their business safe.
Again, having an HACCP is not a legal requirement. However, if you process or make many items in house, an HACCP plan shows customers, investors, and local agencies that you take food safety seriously.
If you want to learn more, check out the USDA’s website.
If you plan to sell meat or produce by weight, your scales need to meet weights and measures requirements laid out by your state. Put simply, these certifications ensure that the prices you charge customers match the price per pound.
Not all states require this, but if you use inaccurate scales, you’ll either lose money or make your customers angry. That’s the best-case scenario. Many states fine you if they find your weight-based pricing is inaccurate.
Start by buying legal-for-trade scales as designated by the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM). If you’re taking over an existing store or have existing hardware, the NCWM has a database of compliant equipment.
A foodborne illness or manufacturing defect is not your fault. A food safety issue arising from improper storage is.
Different types of food have different storage requirements. Know them all. If you get careless, your reputation may never recover.
Don’t wait for a health inspection to make sure your storage standards are up to snuff. Regularly check temperatures, especially for food in these departments:
For refrigerators, regularly check the seals on doors and ensure the cooling coils are clean. It’s better to regularly empty and clean a fridge than replace one that’s failed.
Worse, if a fridge or freezer fails, you’ll have to throw out everything in it — a total (and unnecessary) loss.
Related Read: How To Manage Perishable Inventory: 10 Key Tips and Tools
The technology you use goes a long way toward staying compliant with grocery store certification standards.
In most cases, there are no strict or legal rules on what store management software or checkout equipment you use — but it’s still worth considering compliance standards when choosing tools like your point of sale (POS) system or scanner scales.
Here are a few ways grocery-specific systems can help you meet legal compliance standards:
Compliance issues aside, a grocery store POS system helps your new business run more efficiently by cutting down on admin, helping track costs and profits, and creating a modern customer experience.
A lot goes into starting a new grocery store — even more goes into making it a success. Don’t fall at the first hurdle because you aren’t up to speed on grocery store certification standards.
But keeping your store up to code is essential. Over time, it’ll be second nature.
Installing your store with hardware and software built for independent grocery stores keeps things running smoothly. In addition to keeping your store compliant with reporting and food safety tracking, a modern POS system:
Schedule a custom demo today to see how industry-specific tools like IT Retail are key to managing your store effectively and keeping your customers happy.