Don't let the sanitary permit for your medium-risk foods expire unrenewed

The Sanitary Permit is the administrative act issued by the competent health authority that authorises a natural or legal person to manufacture, process, pack, import and/or sell a food of medium public-health risk for human consumption (Article 3 of Resolución 2674 de 2013). Every food sold directly to consumers must obtain, according to its public-health risk, the Sanitary Notification (NSA), Sanitary Permit (PSA) or Sanitary Registration (RSA) issued by INVIMA, with exceptions for unprocessed natural foods, raw chilled or frozen foods of animal origin without processing, foods used exclusively by industry and the food-service sector, and foods for the San Andrés and Providencia free port (Article 37, as amended by Article 1 of Resolución 3168 de 2015). The risk classification of foods is in the technical annex of Resolución 719 de 2015 (Articles 1 and 2).

The Sanitary Permit is valid for seven (7) years and may be renewed successively for equal periods; the holder must file the renewal application three (3) months before the expiry date, supplying the documents required by the resolution (Article 39). The requirements for issuing a registration or permit, for domestic and imported foods, are in Article 38 (INVIMA application form and product technical sheet; for imports, also a free-sale certificate and the manufacturer's authorisation to the importer). Issue, renewal and certain changes are processed automatically with later review of the documents, under procedures set by INVIMA (Article 37, as amended).

INVIMA issues sanitary permits and handles their renewal and amendment (Article 44); permits are granted to manufacture and sell, manufacture, pack and sell, pack and sell, import and sell, or import, pack and sell (Article 45). One permit may cover several foods in the cases of Article 42, and any change must be reported to INVIMA (Article 43). The holder must comply at all times with sanitary rules and the conditions under which the permit was granted (Article 47), and INVIMA may order an ex officio review at any time (Articles 48 and 49). For comparison, the high-risk Sanitary Registration lasts five years (Article 39) and the lower-risk Sanitary Notification ten years (Article 41).