Government Launches eFood: How to Register and What Market Operators Get in 2026

From March 19, 2026, eFood went live — the Unified State Electronic System of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection (DPSS) with 9 launch services. Facility registration takes hours instead of weeks; permits take 7-15 days instead of 30. Legal basis — Cabinet of Ministers (KMU) Resolution No. 523.

Key reference points for a market operator:

• March 19, 2026 — launch day for the eFood pilot project (announced by DPSS and KMU).
• KMU Resolution No. 523 of March 18, 2026 adopted at the government meeting; specific provisions take effect on April 24, 2026.
• 9 services available in the cabinet from day one — for producers, feed operators, exporters, retail, and HoReCa.
• 17 registries and over 500,000 services per year — target metrics after full rollout.
• August 2026 — next phase of system expansion.

For a fast start, verify document readiness through a diagnostic audit before the first submission: scan copies in PDF/A format, an up-to-date HACCP plan, and facility data alignment with NACE codes.

eFood is not a single form but a perimeter of five tools that work together. The government positions the system as an analogue of the European TRACES for the domestic loop, with a perspective for integration with TRACES NT.

• Unified services portal — entry point for the market operator. Access through the eFood website and the profile on Diia for Business.
• Electronic cabinet — communication space between business and DPSS: application submission, status monitoring, decision receipt.
• Digital profile of the market operator — public card with the history of registrations, permits, and changes. Used for supplier verification by partners and certification bodies.
• Electronic map of regional attractiveness — investment layer with data on facilities, infrastructure, and labor resources by region.
• Inspector mobile app — tool for photo and video documentation of DPSS inspections in real time.

Legal basis — KMU Resolution No. 523 of March 18, 2026 on the procedure for implementing the eFood pilot project. The system is linked to Law No. 1206-IX on electronic veterinary certificates: a single document flow covers the food chain from facility registration to product shipment for export.

As of March 19, 2026, 9 electronic services are open in eFood. Five of them directly concern feed operators and exporters — this is precisely where GMP+, ISO 22000, and export QMS gain practical value from the first application. The remaining four services cover administrative changes in the registry (re-registration, suspension, resumption, cancellation).

Below is the full launch package per the DPSS announcement:

The figure "4 applications -> 1 application" is not marketing but registry math. Previously, a producer with a production line, warehouse, shipping, and office filed separate forms in five different registries. eFood combines them into a single digital profile with change history.

Visible difference for a typical food industry producer:

The instructions below correspond to the first version of the cabinet as of March 19, 2026. Details of specific fields may be updated — take final wording from the official DPSS website.

Step 1 — document and QES preparation

• Verify the validity of the Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) (Diia.Signature, Privat24, ACSC "Ukraine", or another accredited provider).
• Collect founding documents of the legal entity / sole proprietor, facility data (address, NACE code, equipment), and the technological process diagram.
• Prepare an implemented HACCP plan. This is a mandatory condition for facility registration under Law No. 771-VIII — without an up-to-date food safety system, the application will not pass verification.

Step 2 — login to the unified cabinet

• Open the eFood unified services portal (access through the DPSS website or the "DPSS" tab on "Diia for Business").
• Authorize with QES or Diia.Signature.
• Create a digital profile of the market operator. Fill in basic details, link the NACE code and type of activity.

Step 3 — application completion

• Select a service from the list of 9 launch services (for example, "Registration of food market operator facility").
• Upload documents in PDF/A format. Scans as low-resolution photo PDFs are not accepted by the system — facilities with archives of old scans should verify this.
• Sign the application with QES. The signature is automatically linked to the registry record.

Step 4 — receiving the result

• Application status updates in the profile in real time. The facility registration number appears in the card after a positive decision.
• This number is used for product labeling, contracts with retail chains, and processing export documents.
• The operator card is publicly accessible. This matters for supplier verification under FSSC 22000, ISO 22000, and BRCGS — every buyer can see "registered operator" status.

Common mistakes on first submission

• Scanned documents as photo PDFs instead of PDF/A — the most frequent reason for application return.
• Mismatch between facility data and NACE code in the Unified State Register (EDR) extract.
• Missing up-to-date HACCP plan or absent internal audit records.
• Change of activity type without updating the registry (old production address, new product profile).

The electronic application itself is a form. The content it verifies lies in the management system. That is why registering in eFood simultaneously closes or requires several standard-related blocks.

• HACCP — mandatory condition for facility registration under Law No. 771-VIII. eFood requires confirmation of an implemented food safety system; without it, the profile will not receive "active" status.
• ISO 22000 — registration closes clause 4.1 "context of the organization" in terms of regulatory requirements. The operator card with change history becomes documentary evidence of context for the ISO 22000 auditor.
• FSSC 22000 v7 — "registered operator" status from the eFood card = evidence for scope audit. Version 7 of FSSC 22000 strengthens context requirements (including climate factors), and eFood formalizes the very fact of facility registration.
• GMP+ — for feed operators, the eFood declaration works in tandem with GMP+ B1 supplier approval. European partners verify status through the open registry before signing a contract.
• ISO 9001 — for producers integrating QMS and FSMS, the eFood route reaches clause 8.4 "externally provided processes and products." The electronic registration procedure becomes part of control over external constraint requirements.

Cross-case for an exporter: ISO 22000 + FSSC 22000 v7 + eFood export permit — a ready package for an EU buyer who verifies the supplier through TRACES NT. If you need help with ISO 22000 implementation along with eFood facility registration, the route can be closed within one project.

The system's audience is practically the entire food chain plus feed. Entry priority depends on the nature of operations:

• Food industry (producers, processors). New facilities are registered exclusively through eFood. Existing ones — through the "Change of registration data" service at the first update (new line, NACE code change, range expansion).
• Feed operators. Two of the nine services work directly for them (registration + manufacturer declaration for feed). Prepare GMP+ and HACCP documents for feed — they support the declaration.
• Exporters. Export permits are now issued only in eFood. Verify ERP/QMS compatibility with the submission format and keep a manual parallel process for the first 60 days.
• HoReCa and retail. Facility registration for points of sale, kitchens, and warehouses. For chain retail, registering an entire portfolio of locations through a single cabinet is convenient.
• Small business and farmers. eFood lowers the entry barrier: one cabinet instead of trips to a regional DPSS office. For farmers, registration of primary production is relevant — the cabinet accepts applications online.
• Consultants, certification bodies. The public operator card is used for supplier verification under FSSC 22000, ISO 22000, and BRCGS schemes — without additional requests to the client.

The first window is from the March 19 launch to April 24 (the day specific provisions of Resolution No. 523 take effect). It makes sense to take seven steps in this period:

1. Create a digital profile for the operator in eFood. Authorize with QES, fill in basic details, link the facility.
2. Upload the HACCP plan and key food safety management system documents. Verify against the requirements of Law No. 771-VIII.
3. Verify PDF/A format for all scan copies. Rework old photo-PDF archives through office software or a scanner with PDF/A mode.
4. Update facility data — NACE code, address, type of activity. If outdated records exist in the registry, use the "Change of registration data" service.
5. Exporters — verify whether ERP/QMS is integrated with the eFood format. Until technical integration, keep a parallel paper process for the first 60 days.
6. Document both routes (paper + eFood) in internal SOPs. This avoids supply disruptions during the transitional stage.
7. Prepare for August 2026 — the second wave of digitalization. The government has announced an expansion of the service list; the audit-support team is helpful if submission falls during peak season.

For exporters and producers preparing for certification, this same period is optimal for synchronization with ISO 22000 or HACCP implementation.

If a team is submitting an eFood application for the first time and wants to pass on the first attempt, Ekontrol closes the route as a project:

• Diagnostic audit of documentation readiness — pre-submission check in 5 business days.
• Implementation of HACCP, ISO 22000, or FSSC 22000 with parallel facility registration in eFood — one project, one calendar.
• Submission support — a consultant alongside at every step of the electronic application.
• Annual support — quarterly updates aligned with eFood expansion and the new service list from August 2026.

For feed operators and farmers working in food industry or agriculture, the typical cycle is diagnostics + document preparation + submission support. Details are tailored to the specific facility and export loop.

• DPSS — official release on the eFood launch (19.03.2026)
• Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine — announcement on the eFood system
• Diia for Business — electronic services portal
• EU Regulation 2017/625 (EUR-Lex)
• Forbes Ukraine — on the pilot nature of the project, 17 registries, and 500,000+ services
• biz.nv.ua — details on permit issuance timelines
• sud.ua — KMU Resolution No. 523 in legal context

Need expert support implementing the changes covered above? Contact the Ekontrol team for a free consultation.