Food Safety Records in Monaco: Laws, DASA Inspections and Agrément

Monaco food safety records explained: Law 1.330, DASA inspections, agrément, temperatures, allergens, records and how digital records help.

2026-10-31 · Chef Hygiene

Do food businesses in Monaco need food safety records? Yes. Monaco is not in the EU, but its own laws follow the EU food hygiene rules. Every food operator must have procedures based on HACCP principles, with records. Monaco also fixes real temperatures in law, and you need an official approval (an "agrément") from the Minister of State before you open. The Direction de l'Action Sanitaire (DASA) inspects food businesses. There is no public hygiene rating. This page explains the rules, what inspectors check, where businesses go wrong, and how digital records help.

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This page covers the Principality of Monaco. The legal texts are in French, and so are the official sources linked below. Every fact here comes from an official source. Where Monaco law sets no number, we say so.

## Contents

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

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

The main laws. Law no. 1.330 of 8 January 2007 on food safety is the base law. Sovereign Ordinance no. 1.940 of 6 November 2008 sets the food hygiene rules, including HACCP. Ministerial Order no. 2017-102 sets the temperatures for retail, storage and transport. Sovereign Ordinance no. 7.384 of 2019 covers food information for consumers, including allergens. The texts are published in the Journal de Monaco.
Two approvals before you open. You need an authorisation to practise from the Direction de l'Expansion Economique (DEE) under Law no. 1.144 of 26 July 1991. For food, you also need an agrément from the Minister of State. Law 1.330, Article 8, says a place where food is prepared, processed, packed, kept, stored or put on the market cannot operate without an agrément first. The same agrément applies to companies that transport food. The rules for the agrément file are in Ministerial Order 2009-243 of 15 May 2009. We could not confirm if that order is still in force, how many days before opening you must apply, or the deadline to report changes. Ask the authorities.
A HACCP-based system. Food operators must set up, apply and keep procedures based on HACCP principles, and keep documents and records that fit the size and type of the business (Sovereign Ordinance 1.940).
Temperatures are in law. Unlike most countries, Monaco sets its own numbers (Ministerial Order 2017-102, Annexes I and IV):
Chilled food has a maximum for each food: minced meat 2°C, offal 3°C, meat preparations 4°C, poultry and game 4°C, fresh fish and cooked shellfish 2°C, pre-prepared chilled meals 3°C, very perishable food 4°C, other perishable food 8°C.
Frozen: ice cream, minced meat and fish products at -18°C. Other frozen food at -12°C.
Hot food: kept at 63°C or more.
Cooling: the core must not stay between 63°C and 10°C for more than 2 hours. Then store at 0 to 3°C.
Reheating: no more than 1 hour between 10°C and serving temperature, never below 63°C, and eat it the same day.
Cold dishes: kept at 0 to 3°C. They may be out of the cold at most 2 hours before serving, if at 10°C or less. Chilled pre-prepared dishes keep at most 3 days after production unless you have a shelf-life study, with a use-by date on each pack.
Cooking: we found no core cooking temperature for normal kitchens in Monaco law. Its cooking rule applies to food sold in sealed containers. Set and justify your own figure in your HACCP plan.
Staff training. Food handlers must be supervised and instructed or trained in food hygiene for their work, and the people who build the HACCP system must have HACCP training (Sovereign Ordinance 1.940, Annex II, Chapter XII). Monaco sets no course length, no state certificate and no renewal period.
Staff who are ill. Nobody with a disease that food can carry, infected wounds, a skin infection, sores or diarrhoea may handle food where there is a risk of contamination. They must report it to the operator (Sovereign Ordinance 1.940, Annex II, Chapter VIII). No fixed days off or doctor's note are set.
Staff medical. Every employee has a general fitness-for-work exam through the Office de la Medecine du Travail (OMT), under Law no. 637 of 1958. It is not specific to food. We could not confirm any extra food check.
Allergens. For food that is not prepacked and eaten on the premises, allergen information must be in writing, easy to read and visible in the area open to the public. You can show the allergens themselves, or a written notice saying how to get them, and then the written details must be freely and directly available. Oral-only is not allowed. For non-prepacked food, the information goes on the food or right next to it. The information must be in French; other languages may be added (Sovereign Ordinance 7.384, Articles 12, 20 and 21).
Frozen-food records. Records of frozen-food temperatures must be kept 1 year or more (Ministerial Order 2017-103, Article 2). For other records, we found no single retention period in Monaco law.

## 2. Who inspects you, and how often

DASA. The Direction de l'Action Sanitaire, in its Food and Health Safety Division, inspects food businesses. Its authorised officers apply Law 1.330 (Articles 29 to 35).
What they can do. Enter professional premises and vehicles, check documents and the site, take samples, and seize or destroy products (Articles 30 to 34).
Often unannounced. Visits are based on risk. We could not find an official schedule.
After a visit. The authorities can send a formal notice to put things right (a "mise en demeure", Article 44). The Minister of State can, on the inspectors' report, close all or part of an establishment for a time or stop an activity (Article 36). A court can order permanent closure, confiscation of documents, food and equipment, and a ban from the food trade of up to 5 years (Article 49).
Fines (Law 1.330):
Operating without an agrément: 18,000 to 90,000 euros (Articles 8 and 45).
Putting dangerous food on the market: 1 to 6 months in prison and 18,000 to 90,000 euros, or one of the two (Article 46).
Blocking inspections: 1 to 6 months in prison and 2,250 to 9,000 euros, or one of the two (Article 47).
Breaking labelling or traceability duties: 2,250 to 9,000 euros (Article 48).

## 3. No public rating

No rating. We found no Monaco hygiene rating, score or sticker, and no duty to display an inspection result.
What this means for you. There is no score to improve. The goal is a visit with no faults and no notice. Good records show an inspector that your system works every day.

## 4. The records inspectors ask for

The law asks for HACCP records that fit your business. In a Monaco kitchen, the records that follow from the legal rules are:

Fridge and freezer temperatures, against the legal maximum for each food.
Hot holding at 63°C or more.
Cooling and reheating times and temperatures.
Deliveries, with temperatures for chilled and frozen goods.
Corrective actions when a reading is out of range or a check fails.
Cleaning records, in line with the hygiene rules in Annex II.
Staff training records (Annex II, Chapter XII).
Staff illness reports to the operator (Annex II, Chapter VIII).
Allergen information for every dish that is not prepacked, in writing and in French.
Traceability records. Law 1.330 punishes labelling and traceability failures (Article 48).
Your agrément and HACCP file.

How long to keep them. Frozen-food temperature records: 1 year or more. For other records we found no single figure in Monaco law.

## 5. Where businesses go wrong

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 reading above the legal maximum 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. In Monaco, oral-only information is not allowed.
Allergen information not in French.
Working without an agrément. This is the highest fine band in the law.

## 6. By type of business

The rules are the same for every food business, but the records you keep depend on what you do. In Monaco, the agrément covers any establishment that prepares, packs, stores or sells food, so we found no type that skips it.

Restaurant: hot holding at 63°C or more, cooling and reheating records, fridge maximums for each food, and written allergen information in French.
Takeaway: the same as a restaurant, with food kept at the legal temperatures until it leaves.
Café: fridges and displays, cold dishes (2 hours out of the cold at most), cleaning, and written allergen information.
Bakery / cake shop: written allergen information for every product, fridge records for cream cakes, and labels for goods you pack.
Dessert shop: ice cream and frozen desserts at -18°C, plus allergens for toppings and sauces.
Pub / bar / club: the same records as a restaurant for the food you serve, and written allergen information.
Community hall / venue: if you serve food, the agrément and temperature rules apply. We could not confirm a separate rule for occasional events, so ask DASA.
Corner shop / grocery: fridge and freezer checks, delivery checks, and allergen information for food you pack yourself.
School / nursery kitchen: for collective catering, each delivery must carry a document with the allergens (Sovereign Ordinance 7.384, Article 23). Keep temperature, cleaning and training records.
Caterer / food van: the agrément also covers companies that transport food (Law 1.330, Article 8). Keep temperatures during transport and at the event.
Home kitchen business: we could not confirm any exemption or special rule for home kitchens. Article 8 applies to any place where food is prepared and put on the market, so ask DASA before you start.

## 7. Why digital records help in Monaco

Accepted? We could not find a Monaco text that says digital records are accepted or refused. The law asks for documents and records that fit the business, without naming the form. Ask DASA 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.

## 8. How Chef Hygiene helps

Chef Hygiene follows the Monaco rules, including the legal temperatures. 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, such as the Monaco temperatures for chilled food, frozen food, hot holding, cooling and reheating.
Food safety plan ("safe methods"). 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 your likely result in Monaco's own system (no fault, formal notice, or closure) and a "Put it right" list.
Allergen chart, staff tablet view 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 French. Staff can use the app in their own language.

## 9. A fair price, on purpose

Chef Hygiene costs €2.99 a month per site (€1.99 for bakeries, dessert shops and corner shops); the exact price is shown 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 their 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 Monaco?

Yes. Food operators must apply procedures based on HACCP principles and keep documents and records that fit the business (Sovereign Ordinance 1.940).

### Who inspects restaurants in Monaco?

The Direction de l'Action Sanitaire (DASA), under Law 1.330, Articles 29 to 35.

### Do I need approval before I open?

Yes. You need an authorisation to practise from the DEE, and an agrément from the Minister of State for any food establishment (Law 1.330, Article 8).

### Are inspections announced?

Visits are risk-based and often unannounced. We could not find an official schedule.

### Is there a hygiene rating in Monaco?

No. We found no public rating, score or sticker, and no duty to display a result.

### What temperature must my fridge be?

It depends on the food. The legal maximum is 2°C for minced meat and fresh fish, 3°C for offal and pre-prepared chilled meals, 4°C for poultry, meat preparations and very perishable food, and 8°C for other perishable food (Ministerial Order 2017-102).

### What temperature must my freezer be?

-18°C for ice cream, minced meat and fish products. Other frozen food at -12°C.

### What temperature must hot food be kept at?

63°C or more.

### What temperature should I cook food to?

We found no core cooking temperature for normal kitchens in Monaco law. Set your own figure and justify it in your HACCP plan.

### What are the cooling and reheating rules?

Cooling: the core must not stay between 63°C and 10°C for more than 2 hours, then store at 0 to 3°C. Reheating: no more than 1 hour between 10°C and serving temperature, never below 63°C, and eat it the same day.

### How long must I keep my records?

Frozen-food temperature records: 1 year or more (Ministerial Order 2017-103). For other records we found no single period.

### Are digital food safety records accepted?

We could not find a Monaco text that says so either way. Ask DASA if you are unsure.

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

No state certificate or course length is set. Staff must be supervised and trained for their work, and HACCP leads must have HACCP training.

### Can staff work when they are ill?

Not with a food-transmissible disease, infected wounds, a skin infection, sores or diarrhoea, where there is a risk of contamination. They must report it to the operator.

### What allergen information do I need?

For non-prepacked food eaten on site: in writing, legible and visible to the public, in French. You can show the allergens, or a written notice saying how to get them. Oral-only is not allowed.

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

The agrément covers any establishment that prepares or puts food on the market, and companies that transport food. We could not confirm any exemption for home kitchens, so ask DASA.

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

€2.99 a month per site (€1.99 for bakeries, dessert shops and corner shops); the exact price is shown in your app store; unlimited staff, no contract, 14-day free trial.

## 12. Official sources

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

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