Food Safety Records in Albania: Laws, AKU Inspections and HACCP

Albanian food safety records explained: Law 9863/2008, AKU inspections, HACCP, the records inspectors ask for and how digital records help.

2026-10-31 · Chef Hygiene

Do food businesses in Albania need food safety records? Yes. Law 9863/2008 "On Food" requires a food safety system based on HACCP principles, and the National Food Authority (AKU) inspects food businesses. Albania has no public hygiene rating. This page explains the Albanian rules, what inspectors look for, where businesses go wrong, and how digital records help.

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This page covers Albania. Every fact below comes from an official source, linked in the text and at the end. Where we could not confirm a rule, we say so and suggest you ask AKU. The Chef Hygiene app works in Albanian.

## Contents

The law: what every Albanian food business must do
Who inspects you, and how often
No public rating
The records inspectors ask for
Where businesses go wrong
By type of business
Why digital records help in Albania
How Chef Hygiene helps
A fair price, on purpose
Less paper
FAQ
Official sources

## 1. The law: what every Albanian food business must do

The main law. Law no. 9863 of 28 January 2008 "On Food" (Ligji "Për ushqimin"), amended several times, most recently in 2022. The hygiene detail is in Instruction no. 22 of 25 November 2010 on the general and special hygiene conditions for food establishments and food business operators (Instruction 22/2010, FAOLEX).
Responsibility. The Instruction starts from the principle that the food business operator carries the main responsibility for food safety.
Registration and licence. The operator must tell AKU about every establishment under its control so it can be registered, and must keep AKU informed of changes and closures (Instruction 22/2010, part IV). AKU's licensing page describes the steps: the application is filed with the National Business Centre (QKB) through the e-Albania portal, QKB checks it first, then AKU reviews it and inspects on site (AKU licensing page). That page lists production, processing and wholesale categories. We could not confirm the exact steps for a restaurant, café or takeaway, so ask AKU.
A HACCP-based food safety system. Article 26 of Law 9863/2008 requires it. The Instruction says the procedures must fit the type and size of the business, and the documents must be kept constantly up to date.
Temperatures. We found no numeric limits in the law or the Instruction. The legal duties are these: the cold chain must not be broken (limited time outside temperature control is allowed for preparation, transport, storage and serving if it causes no health risk), and premises must allow food temperatures to be monitored and recorded. Set your own limits in your HACCP plan and ask AKU if unsure.
Staff training. The operator must make sure food staff are supervised, instructed and trained in food hygiene for their work, and that the HACCP procedure is written and maintained by people with suitable training (Instruction 22/2010, chapter XII). We could not confirm a fixed course or certificate.
Health booklet. We could not confirm the rules for the health booklet (librezë shëndetësore) on an official page. Ask AKU or your local health service.
Staff who are ill. Nobody with a disease that food can carry, or a carrier of one, for example infected wounds, skin or throat infections or diarrhoea, may be in contact with food or enter a food area if there is a chance of contamination. Affected staff must report their illness or symptoms to the operator at once (Instruction 22/2010).
Allergens. VKM no. 434 of 11 July 2018 on food labelling and consumer information lists 14 allergens in Annex II. For food sold unpacked to the final consumer or to catering, or prepacked for direct sale, article 40 says the allergen information is the one particular that is required. It does not say whether it must be written or spoken (VKM 434/2018). Breaches are dealt with under article 68 of Law 9863/2008.
Distance selling. Article 14 of VKM 434/2018: for prepacked food ordered at a distance, the information is given before the purchase and at delivery. Loose food follows the article 40 rule.
Records. The Instruction says operators keep any other document or record for at least the minimum shelf life of the food.

## 2. Who inspects you, and how often

AKU. The National Food Authority (Autoriteti Kombëtar i Ushqimit) is the inspecting body (AKU).
What inspectors check. AKU can ask the operator to show evidence that the HACCP-based procedures are in place, taking into account the type and size of the business (Instruction 22/2010). In practice this means your plan and your records.
Licensing inspection. For the licence categories on its licensing page, AKU decides on the documents you submit and on an on-site inspection of equipment and premises.
How often, and whether visits are announced. We could not confirm an official schedule or rule, so we do not give one.
Fines and powers. Law 9863/2008 sets penalties (article 68). We could not read the fine amounts on an official page today, so we do not state any. Ask AKU.

## 3. No public rating

No rating. We found no public hygiene rating, sticker or score in Albania, and nothing you must display.
What this means for you. There is no score to improve. The aim is an inspection with no faults, and good records show an inspector that your system works every day.

## 4. The records inspectors ask for

The law asks for HACCP-based procedures, up-to-date documents and monitored, recorded temperatures. It names no forms. In practice a kitchen keeps:

Fridge and freezer temperatures, with what you did when a reading was wrong.
Cooking, cooling, reheating and hot-holding checks, against the limits in your HACCP plan.
Deliveries and supplier details.
Cleaning records.
Pest control reports.
Staff training records.
Sick staff reports. Staff must tell you at once.
Allergen information for every dish.
Your HACCP plan, kept up to date when you change the menu, the kitchen or the process.

How long to keep them. At least as long as the food's minimum shelf life (Instruction 22/2010). We found no longer fixed period.

## 5. Where businesses go wrong

Common record problems are easy to picture:

Gaps. Days with no checks written down.
A plan that doesn't match the kitchen. A system on paper that staff do not follow.
A plan that is out of date. The Instruction says documents must be constantly updated.
No action recorded. A fridge reading that is too warm with nothing written about what was done.
Lost or damaged pages. Paper gets wet, greasy or thrown away.
Training not shown. Staff were trained, but nothing proves it.
Allergens only by word of mouth. Nothing to show what is in each dish.
Registration. Not telling AKU about a premises or a change.

## 6. By type of business

The rules are the same for every food business, but the records you keep depend on what you do.

Restaurant: daily temperature checks, cooking and hot-holding checks, cooling, deliveries, cleaning, and allergen information for every dish.
Takeaway: the same as a restaurant, plus allergen information for phone and app orders.
Café: fridges and displays, cleaning, and allergen information for sandwiches and cakes.
Bakery / cake shop: allergen records for every product, display temperatures for cream cakes, and labels for goods you pack.
Dessert shop: fridge and freezer temperatures for desserts and ice cream, and allergens for toppings and sauces.
Pub / bar / club: the same records as a restaurant for the food you serve.
Community hall / venue: keep temperature and cleaning records for each event, and ask AKU whether you need to register.
Corner shop / grocery: fridge and freezer checks, delivery checks, and allergen information for food you pack yourself.
School / nursery kitchen: temperature and cleaning records, and careful allergen records for every child.
Caterer / food van: keep temperatures during transport and at the event. We could not confirm separate rules for vehicles, so ask AKU.
Home kitchen business: we could not confirm separate rules. Instruction 22/2010 asks operators to tell AKU about every food establishment, so ask AKU first.

## 7. Why digital records help in Albania

No format is named. The Instruction asks for up-to-date records and names no format. We could not find an official page that says digital records are accepted, so ask AKU if you are unsure.
No gaps go unnoticed. A missed check shows up the same day, not at the next inspection.
Problems come with their fix. When a reading is out of range, the record can ask what you did about it.
Nothing is lost. No wet, greasy or missing pages, which matters when records must be kept for the shelf life of the food.
Ready for the inspector. You can show everything at once, instead of looking for folders.
Every staff member can take part. Staff can record checks on a phone or tablet, in their own language.

## 8. How Chef Hygiene helps

Chef Hygiene follows the Albanian rules. What it does:

Daily checks for fridges, freezers, cooking, hot holding, cooling, cleaning and deliveries, with the time, the staff member's name and photos. Saved records cannot be changed; corrections are added as new records.
Your country's rules built in. Where Albanian law gives no number, the app says so and does not pretend otherwise.
Food safety plan. About 20 minutes: answer questions, check each method, sign it, set a review date and print it. Earlier versions are kept.
Ready for inspection? Checks your last 4 weeks of records the way an inspector would and shows how many are ready.
Inspector's visits log. Write down each visit: date, type and officer.
Practice inspection. A free walk round of about 10 minutes, with questions for your type of business, showing the likely result and a "Put it right" list.
Allergen chart and labels. Every dish against the 14 allergens, a staff view on the kitchen tablet, and labels for food prepacked for direct sale, with allergens in bold.
Staff training records.
Inspector pack. Print all your records as one pack, or share them by secure link.
40 languages, including Albanian. Staff can use the app in their own language.

## 9. A fair price, on purpose

Chef Hygiene costs about €2.99 a month per site (about €1.99 for bakeries, dessert shops and corner shops), shown in your local currency in your app store; unlimited staff, no contract, 14-day free trial.

We keep the price low on purpose. We want as many food businesses as possible, from a single food van to a busy restaurant, to keep good records and pass inspections.

## 10. Less paper

A paper diary means printed sheets every day. One daily sheet per kitchen is 365 sheets a year, before you count delivery forms, cleaning rotas and training records. Digital records mean no record books to buy and fewer printed forms to throw away. That is less paper and less waste, and nothing to store in a back office.

## 11. FAQ

### Do I legally need food safety records in Albania?

Yes. Law 9863/2008 "On Food" (article 26) requires a food safety system based on HACCP. Instruction 22/2010 says the operator keeps records and keeps them up to date.

### Who inspects restaurants in Albania?

The National Food Authority (AKU).

### How do I register a food business?

AKU's licensing page says applications are filed at the National Business Centre (QKB) through e-Albania, then AKU reviews them and inspects on site. That page lists production, processing and wholesale categories, so ask AKU what applies to a restaurant, café or takeaway.

### Are inspections announced?

We could not confirm an official rule on this, so we do not give one.

### Is there a hygiene rating in Albania?

No. We found no public rating, sticker or score.

### Can an inspector close my business?

Law 9863/2008 sets penalties (article 68). We could not read the exact powers and fine amounts on an official page today, so we do not state them. Ask AKU.

### Do I have to keep temperature records?

The Instruction says premises must allow food temperatures to be monitored and recorded, and that the cold chain must not be broken. It sets no numbers that we could find.

### What temperature must my fridge be?

We found no number in Law 9863/2008 or Instruction 22/2010. Set your own limits in your HACCP plan and ask AKU if you are unsure.

### How long must I keep my records?

Records other than the HACCP procedures themselves must be kept at least as long as the food's minimum shelf life (Instruction 22/2010).

### Are digital records accepted?

We could not find an Albanian official page that says yes or no. The Instruction asks for up-to-date records and does not name a format. Ask AKU if you are unsure.

### Do my staff need a food hygiene certificate?

The operator must make sure food staff are supervised, instructed and trained in food hygiene for their work (Instruction 22/2010, chapter XII). We could not confirm a fixed course.

### Do staff need a health booklet?

We could not confirm the health booklet (librezë shëndetësore) rules on an official page. Ask AKU or your local health service.

### Can staff work when they are ill?

Not with a disease that food can carry, such as infected wounds, skin or throat infections or diarrhoea, if food could be contaminated. They must report it to the operator at once.

### What allergen information do I need?

VKM 434/2018 article 40 says that for unpacked food, the allergen information is the one required particular. Annex II lists the 14 allergens. It does not say written or spoken.

### Does the allergen rule apply to phone and app orders?

VKM 434/2018 article 14 covers distance selling: prepacked food information is given before purchase and at delivery, and loose food follows article 40.

### Do I need to register a food van or home business?

We could not confirm separate rules on an official page. Instruction 22/2010 asks operators to tell AKU about every food establishment. Ask AKU.

### Do I need a HACCP plan for a small business?

Yes. The Instruction says the procedure fits the type and size of the business.

### How much does Chef Hygiene cost in Albania?

About €2.99 a month per site (about €1.99 for bakeries, dessert shops and corner shops), shown in your local currency in your app store. Unlimited staff, no contract, 14-day free trial.

### Does the app work in Albanian?

Yes. It is one of 40 languages.

## 12. Official sources

Chef Hygiene keeps your Albanian food safety records ready for every inspection:

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

Get it from Microsoft

Use it in your browser