Food Safety Records in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Laws and Inspections

Food safety records in Bosnia and Herzegovina: the law, who inspects, the records inspectors ask for, common failures and how digital records help.

2026-10-31 · Chef Hygiene

Do food businesses in Bosnia and Herzegovina need food safety records? Yes. The hygiene rulebook (Sl. glasnik BiH 4/13) asks every food business to run procedures based on HACCP principles, with documents and records that fit the type and size of the business, kept for an appropriate period. The Food Safety Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina sets the rules, and inspectors from your entity, canton or Brčko District check them. There is no public hygiene rating. This page explains the rules, what inspectors look for, where businesses go wrong, and how digital records help.

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Every fact below comes from an official source, linked in the text and at the end. Where the law sets no number, or we could not confirm a rule, we say so. Bosnia and Herzegovina is made of two entities and one district, so some details differ by place. Ask your local inspectorate if you are unsure.

The law: what every 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina
How Chef Hygiene helps
A fair price, on purpose
Less paper
FAQ
Official sources

1. The law: what every food business must do

The main laws. The Food Law (Zakon o hrani, Sl. glasnik BiH 50/04) is the base. The Rulebook on food hygiene (Pravilnik o higijeni hrane, Sl. glasnik BiH 4/13) sets the hygiene duties. The Rulebook on giving food information to consumers (Sl. glasnik BiH 68/13) covers allergens (Food Safety Agency of BiH).
How the country is organised. Bosnia and Herzegovina has two entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH, made of cantons) and Republika Srpska (RS), plus Brčko District. The state-level Food Safety Agency sets the common food rules. Inspection is done locally, as in section 2.
Register before you open. The business must be registered with the competent authority of your entity, canton or Brčko District. We could not confirm the exact office for each place, so ask your local inspectorate or municipality.
A HACCP-based system. Under Article 6 of the hygiene rulebook, you need permanent procedures based on HACCP principles. Documents and records must fit the type and size of the business and be kept for "an appropriate period". The rulebook also allows voluntary national guides to good practice (Rulebook 4/13).
Temperatures: law and guidance. The hygiene rulebook asks you to keep the cold chain but gives no general numbers for a restaurant. The numbers below come from the Food Safety Agency's guide to safe food handling in catering. They are good practice, not law (FSA catering guide):
Cooking: 75°C at the core, or an equal time and temperature such as 70°C for 2 minutes.
Hot holding: 63°C or hotter.
Cooling: to 10°C or colder within about 2 hours, then into the fridge.
Reheating: 75°C at the core.
Staff training. The operator must make sure food handlers are trained in food hygiene for their work (hygiene rulebook 4/13). We found no single national course or certificate that the law names.
Health checks for staff. In the Federation, a Rulebook on health checks (Sl. novine FBiH 20/08) says staff under health supervision are checked before they start work, then once a year by a doctor, and every 6 months with a throat and nose swab and a stool test (FBiH Ministry of Health: Rulebook 20/08). We did not confirm the matching rules in Republika Srpska or Brčko District, so ask your inspectorate there.
Staff who are ill. Staff with an illness that can pass through food must stay away from food work.
Allergens. Customers must get information on the 14 allergens in Rulebook 68/13, which follows the EU list. For food that is not prepacked, such as restaurant dishes, the information must be available and easy to reach. We could not confirm one required method (writing, board, menu or staff), so ask your inspector (FSA: Rulebook 68/13).

2. Who inspects you, and how often

Three inspection systems. In the Federation: the Federal Inspection Administration and the cantonal inspectorates. In Republika Srpska: the Republic Inspection Administration. In Brčko District: the District Inspectorate (Food Safety Agency of BiH).
The Agency sets rules, it does not visit. The Food Safety Agency is the state body for food safety rules. Your visit will come from the inspectorate of your place.
How often. We could not confirm an official fixed visit schedule, so we do not give one.
What an inspector can do. Inspectors can say what to put right and by when, and can fine a business. The fine amounts differ between the entities, and we could not read them on an official page, so we do not give any.

3. No public rating

No rating. Bosnia and Herzegovina has no public hygiene rating, sticker or score, and nothing has to be shown on your door or website.
What this means for you. There is no score to improve, so your records matter in a different way. They show an inspector that your system works every day, and that helps you avoid orders and fines.

4. The records inspectors ask for

The hygiene rulebook asks for records that fit your business. Inspectors usually ask to see the following:

Your HACCP-based plan and the checks that follow from it.
Temperature records for fridges, freezers, cooking, hot holding and cooling.
Delivery records and supplier details, so food can be traced.
Cleaning records.
Pest control reports or checks.
Staff training and health check records.
Allergen information for each dish.

How long to keep them. The rulebook says "an appropriate period". It does not give a number of months, and the authority may set one, so ask your inspectorate.

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.
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 and health checks not shown. Staff were trained, or checked, but nothing proves it.
Allergens only by word of mouth. Information must be available and easy to reach.
Not registered. Opening without registering with the competent authority.

6. By type of business

The same hygiene rules apply to every food business, but the records you keep depend on what you do.

Restaurant: daily checks, cooking and hot-holding temperatures, cooling, deliveries, cleaning, and allergen information for every dish.
Takeaway: the same as a restaurant, plus clear allergen information for food handed over or delivered.
Café: fridges and displays, cleaning, and allergen information for sandwiches, cakes and drinks with ingredients.
Bakery: 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 any food you serve, and allergen information for every dish.
Community hall / venue: if you serve food as a business, register and keep temperature and cleaning records for each event.
Corner shop / grocery: fridge and freezer checks, delivery checks, and labels for food you pack yourself.
School / nursery kitchen: temperature and cleaning records, staff training and health check records, and careful allergen records for every child.
Caterer / food van: register with the authority of the place where you are based; keep temperatures during transport and at the event, and keep your records with you.
Home kitchen business: we could not confirm a separate official rule for home kitchens, so check with your local inspectorate. The hygiene duties and records are the same as for other food businesses.

7. Why digital records help in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Records can fit your business. The rulebook asks for documents and records in proportion to your size. We found no rule that forces paper, and no rule that bans digital records. Ask your inspector 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.
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 rules of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Food Safety Agency's guidance. 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, including the Food Safety Agency's cooking, hot-holding, cooling and reheating numbers.
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 and a "Put it right" list. It shows a likely result in the way Bosnia and Herzegovina inspects, which has no public rating.
Allergen chart and labels. Every dish against the 14 allergens, a staff view on the kitchen tablet, and labels for food you prepack, with allergens in bold.
Staff training records.
Inspector pack. Print all your records as one pack, or share them by secure link.
40 languages. Staff can use the app in their own language. Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian are all part of it.

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 Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Yes. The hygiene rulebook (Sl. glasnik BiH 4/13, Article 6) asks for HACCP-based procedures, with documents and records that fit the type and size of your business.

Who inspects restaurants in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

It depends on where you are. In the Federation, the Federal Inspection Administration and the cantonal inspectorates. In Republika Srpska, the Republic Inspection Administration. In Brčko District, the District Inspectorate.

What does the Food Safety Agency do?

It is the state body that sets food safety rules. It does not carry out the visits to restaurants. Your entity, canton or district inspectorate does.

Do I have to register before I open?

Yes. Register with the competent authority of your entity, canton or Brčko District. We could not confirm the exact office for each place, so ask locally.

Is there a hygiene rating in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

No. There is no public rating, sticker or score.

Are inspections announced?

We could not confirm an official rule on this, so we do not say. Be ready for a visit at any time you are open.

How often are inspections?

We could not confirm an official fixed schedule.

How much is the fine for a hygiene breach?

Inspectors can fine a business, and the amounts differ between the entities. We could not read them on an official page, so we do not give any. Ask your inspectorate.

Are digital food safety records accepted?

The rulebook asks for records that fit your business and does not say they must be on paper. We found no official page that says digital records are accepted or banned, so ask your inspector if you are unsure.

How long must I keep my records?

The rulebook says "an appropriate period". It gives no number of months, and the authority may set one.

What temperature must my fridge be?

The hygiene rulebook asks you to keep the cold chain but gives no general number for a restaurant. Ask your inspector or follow the Food Safety Agency's catering guide.

What temperature should I cook food to?

Food Safety Agency guidance: 75°C at the core, or an equal time and temperature such as 70°C for 2 minutes. This is good practice, not law.

What temperature must hot food be kept at?

Food Safety Agency guidance: 63°C or hotter. This is good practice, not law.

Do my staff need a food hygiene certificate?

The operator must make sure food handlers are trained for their work. We found no single national certificate named in the law.

Do my staff need a health check?

In the Federation, yes: before starting work, once a year with a doctor, and every 6 months with swabs and a stool test (Sl. novine FBiH 20/08). We did not confirm the rules in Republika Srpska or Brčko District.

What allergen information do I need?

Information on the 14 allergens, available and easy to reach for food that is not prepacked (Rulebook 68/13). We could not confirm one required method, so ask your inspector.

Can staff work when they are ill?

Not if they have an illness that can pass through food.

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

All food businesses must be registered with the competent authority. For home kitchens we could not confirm a separate official rule, so ask your local inspectorate.

Which languages does the app work in?

Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian are all included, with 40 languages in total.

How much does Chef Hygiene cost in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

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.

12. Official sources

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