Guide to the Full Process of Certification for Sweet Potato Starch Processing Plants in 2025

Basic Business Licenses

Business License

• Issuing authority: Nanyang City Market Supervision Administration (can be applied online via Henan Government Services Network).

  
  

• Materials: Legal representative's ID card, company constitution, premises proof (property certificate or lease contract).

  
  

• Time: 3-5 working days, electronic licenses supported.

Food Production License (SC Certification)

• Equipment Layout Diagram: Must clearly show the rational division of cleaning, crushing, separating, drying areas, avoiding cross-contamination.

  
  

• Process Flow Chart: Specify the whole process from sweet potato to crushing, filtering, precipitation, and drying, marking critical control points (e.g., wastewater treatment).

  
  

• Laboratory Equipment: Should be equipped with a moisture tester, microbial testing equipment (such as a colony counter), or delegate testing to a third party.

Environmental Protection and Safety Certificates

Environmental Impact Assessment

• Report: Projects with daily processing of sweet potatoes ≥ 50 tons or yearly starch processing ≥ 10,000 tons need to prepare an environmental impact assessment report and undergo expert review.

  
  

• Report Form: Smaller enterprises (e.g., daily processing of 16 tons) only need to submit a report form, which can be done online in Nanyang Wancheng District.

  
  

• Materials: Project feasibility study report, wastewater treatment plan (e.g., sweet potato residue recycling process), pollutant discharge list.

  
  

• Costs: Report about 50,000-100,000 yuan, report form about 10,000-30,000 yuan (depending on project complexity).

Discharge Permit

• Wastewater Treatment: Starch wastewater has high COD concentration (usually >10,000 mg/L) and requires anaerobic + aerobic treatment facilities, with discharge standards meeting the "Starch Industry Water Pollutant Discharge Standard".

  
  

• Monitoring Plan: Monthly self-monitoring of COD, ammonia nitrogen, etc., quarterly third-party tests, data uploaded to the environmental platform.

Fire Acceptance Certificate

• Fire Zones: The production workshop and raw material warehouse need to be separated by firewalls, and if the area exceeds 2,500㎡, an automatic sprinkler system is required.

  
  

• Escape Routes: Main channel width ≥ 1.2 meters, safety exit interval ≤ 25 meters, emergency lighting illumination ≥ 1.0 lx.

  
  

• Application Process: Submit completion drawings and acceptance reports via the "Henan Province Construction Project Fire Design Review and Acceptance Platform," completed within 5 working days.

Production Qualifications and Industry Access

Feed Production License (Optional)

• Applicable Scenarios: If sweet potato residue is processed into feed, it is necessary to apply to the Henan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

  
  

• Materials: Workshop floor plan, equipment list, feed formula, inspection report.

Import and Export Operation Permit (Optional)

• Customs Registration: Submit enterprise information via the "China International Trade Single Window."

  
  

• Overseas Registration: Starch exports need to complete overseas production enterprise registration in the destination country (e.g., Vietnam).

Personnel and Quality Management

Employee Health Certificates

• Scope: Personnel directly handling starch production and packaging need to be certified, valid for 1 year.

  
  

• Handling: Physical examinations can be conducted at CDCs in various provinces, cities, and counties, with costs about 80-100 yuan/person.

Food Safety Administrator Certificate

- Training: Companies must have at least one dedicated administrator, who must pass an online exam organized by the market supervision bureau.

Brand and Intellectual Property

Trademark Registration

• Search: Use "China Trademark Network" to search for similar trademarks to avoid rejection.

  
  

• Application: Submit materials online, fee is 270 yuan/class (electronic application).

  
  

• Cycle: The average review cycle for 2025 is 4 months, successful registration requires 7 months.

Local Special Policies and Subsidies

Agricultural Subsidies

• Agricultural Machinery Purchase Subsidies: Purchase of starch processing equipment (such as a fully automatic production line) can receive a 30% subsidy, up to 150,000 yuan per machine.

  
  

• Farmland Fertility Protection Subsidy: Farmers planting sweet potatoes can receive a subsidy of 99.83 yuan/mu, and companies can indirectly reduce raw material costs through the "company + base" model.

Small Workshop Registration Certificate (Transitional Use)

• Applicable Conditions: Micro enterprises with daily processing of sweet potatoes < 10 tons and annual sales < 1 million yuan.

  
  

• Advantages: No SC certification required, short processing cycle (5 working days in Nanyang), but limited to local sales.

  
  

• Risks: The new regulations in 2025 will prohibit small workshops from producing special categories such as infant formula foods, and the supervision will be stricter.

Risk Warning and Compliance Suggestions

• Environmental Protection Risk: If wastewater treatment does not meet standards, there may be a risk of production suspension for rectification, referring to the case where a starch company in Guyuan, Ningxia was penalized in 2024 for exceeding reclaimed water standards.

  
  

• Misconceptions about SC Certification: Some companies believe "commissioned processing does not require an SC certificate", but the new regulations in 2025 will require both the principal and the agent to hold certificates, otherwise, both parties may be fined jointly.

  
  

• Fire Acceptance Details: The production workshop needs to set up a "fire evacuation map", the density of fire extinguisher configuration should be ≥ 5 units/100㎡, and regular maintenance is required.

Suggestions for Optimizing Processing Procedures

• Parallel Approval: Simultaneously apply for a business license, environmental assessment, and fire acceptance; Nanyang supports "joint acceptance" to be completed within 5 working days.

  
  

• Policy Consultation: Contact the Industrial Section of Nanyang City Agriculture and Rural Department (Tel: 0377-63397666) for subsidy application guidance.

  
  

• Third-Party Services: Delegate to professional agencies (such as local environmental companies in Nanyang) for handling environmental assessment and SC certification, saving time costs.