Food Safety Records in Poland: Law, Sanepid Inspections and HACCP

Polish food safety records explained: the law, Sanepid approval and inspections, HACCP, the inspection book, allergens, common failures and digital records.

2026-10-31 · Chef Hygiene

Do food businesses in Poland need food safety records? Yes. Every food business in Poland must have food safety procedures based on HACCP (EU Regulation 852/2004, Article 5; food safety act, art. 59). The State Sanitary Inspection (Państwowa Inspekcja Sanitarna, known as "Sanepid") approves, registers and inspects restaurants and similar premises, and can ask for proof that your checks work. Poland has no public hygiene rating or sticker. This page explains the Polish 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 Polish law sets no number and a number comes from official guidance (GIS, Sanepid, WHO), we say so. Where we could not confirm something, we say that too, so ask your local Sanepid office.

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

1. The law: what every Polish food business must do

The main laws. The food safety and nutrition act (ustawa o bezpieczeństwie żywności i żywienia), EU Regulation 852/2004 on food hygiene, and the act on preventing and combating infections (for health rules). The inspection book comes from the Entrepreneurs' Law (art. 57). Laws are on ISAP, the Sejm law database.
Register and get Sanepid approval first. You register the business and the Sanepid approves the premises. The official guide on biznes.gov.pl says to apply at least 14 days before you start. The certificate is issued within 14 days, and a fee is charged only if faults are found. Food of animal origin needs a separate registration with the veterinary service.
HACCP-based procedures. These are required for all food businesses (Regulation 852/2004, Article 5; food safety act, art. 59). The Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS) says food law sets no detailed rules for a kitchen's own checks. The business sets them, and inspectors may ask for proof that they work but cannot impose specific solutions (GIS answer, 15 March 2024).
Temperatures: law and guidance. No Polish law sets fridge, hot-holding, cooling or reheating numbers for restaurants. GIS says each business sets them in its own HACCP procedure. The numbers below are official guidance (GIS, Sanepid, and the WHO "five keys" that GIS recommends):
Chilled food: below 4°C (Sanepid), preferably below 5°C (WHO). A temperature on the label or from the maker applies.
Hot food: above 60°C just before serving (Sanepid, WHO).
Cooling: put cooked food in the fridge within 2 hours, preferably below 5°C (GIS, Sanepid). Cooked food stays out of the fridge no longer than 2 hours at room temperature (GIS).
Reheating: heat food to 70°C (Sanepid).
Cooking: cook food to above 70°C (GIS).
Frozen food is the one place where the law gives a number: -18°C, with a rise of up to 3°C allowed only while loading and unloading and in shop cabinets (regulation of 19 September 2003, § 3).
Staff health. Everyone who works in contact with food needs a medical certificate for sanitary-epidemiological purposes (orzeczenie do celów sanitarno-epidemiologicznych). The employer sends the person for the tests. It has no expiry date in law (food safety act, art. 59; infections act).
Staff training. Food hygiene training or instruction for all food staff, and for the people running HACCP, must be documented. The law sets no certificate, hours or renewal (food safety act, art. 59). Safety-at-work (BHP) training is a separate duty: before starting work, then every 3 years for manual jobs and every 5 years for managers.
Sick staff. Nobody with a disease that can pass through food, infected wounds, skin infections or diarrhoea may handle food. Staff must tell the manager at once, and the employer must take them off this work (Regulation 852/2004; infections act, art. 10).
Allergens. The 14 EU allergens must be shown. For food that is not prepacked, the seller must give the name of the food and the ingredient list with allergens highlighted, in a place the customer can read without asking (regulation of the Minister of Agriculture of 23 December 2014, § 19). A QR code alone is not enough (GIJHARS: labelling of unpacked food). The information must be in Polish; other languages may be added. For restaurant dishes, the information is given in writing where guests see it before ordering: a menu, board, notice or screen. The trade inspection authority (UOKiK) decided that staff answering questions does not replace written information (decision DIH-1/57/2016). The GIJHARS page is written for retail sale, so ask your authority how it applies to your menu.
Inspection book. Keep an inspection book (książka kontroli), on paper or electronic, and show it at the start of each inspection (Entrepreneurs' Law, art. 57).

2. Who inspects you, and how often

Sanepid. The district sanitary inspector (PPIS, working through the PSSE office) approves, registers and inspects food premises. The provincial inspector hears appeals and sets money fines. GIS is the national body (GIS).
Risk-based, may be unannounced. Visits are based on risk, and official food controls may be unannounced. We could not confirm a fixed visit schedule, so we do not give one.
Inspection book first. You show your inspection book at the start of each inspection.
What can happen. A decision orders faults to be fixed by a set date. Where life or health is in direct danger, the inspector can close the premises at once, and fines can follow. We do not give amounts, because we have not read them on an official page.
Other inspectors. The veterinary service handles animal-origin food, and the trade inspection authority (UOKiK) handles consumer information. Fire safety falls under the State Fire Service (PSP).

3. No public rating

No rating. Poland has no public hygiene rating or sticker, and results for single restaurants are not published.
Nothing to display. Nothing about the inspection has to be displayed at the premises.
What this means for you. There is no score to improve. The result lives in your inspection book and in the decisions the inspector issues. Good records show an inspector that your system works every day, which helps you avoid orders to fix faults, closure or fines.

4. The records inspectors ask for

Polish law asks for HACCP-based procedures and documented proof, but does not list forms. What the official sources say you keep:

Your HACCP procedures and the checks you set yourself (temperatures, cleaning, deliveries and so on). Inspectors may ask for proof that they work.
Training documents. Documented hygiene training or instruction, in the personnel file, with a copy at the place of work, shown on request (food safety act, art. 59).
Medical certificates for every food worker, kept in the personnel file with a copy at work.
The inspection book (książka kontroli).
Allergen information for dishes that are not prepacked.
Safety-at-work (BHP) training records.
Building and fire checks. Gas installations and chimney, flue and ventilation ducts are checked at least once a year with a written protocol, and electrical installations at least every 5 years. These duties fall on the building owner or manager (building law, art. 62). Portable fire extinguishers are inspected at least once a year (MSWiA fire regulation).

How long to keep them. We could not confirm a fixed keeping time for HACCP records in Polish law, so we do not give one. Ask your Sanepid office.

5. Where businesses go wrong

Common record problems are easy to picture:

Not registered or approved. Starting before the Sanepid approval.
No inspection book to hand. It must be shown at the start of every inspection.
Gaps. Days with no checks written down.
A plan that doesn't match the kitchen. HACCP procedures on paper that staff do not follow.
No action recorded. A fridge reading that is too warm with nothing written about what was done.
Training or certificates missing. Staff were trained or tested, but nothing proves it, or the medical certificate is not in the file.
Allergens only by word of mouth. In Poland the authorities say staff answering questions does not replace written information.
Lost or damaged pages. Paper gets wet, greasy or thrown away.

6. By type of business

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

Restaurant: register and get approval, HACCP procedures, daily checks, cooking and hot-holding temperatures, cooling, deliveries, cleaning, medical certificates, and written allergen information for every dish.
Takeaway: the same as a restaurant. For phone and app orders, the EU rule (Regulation 1169/2011, Article 14) requires allergen information before the purchase is completed and at delivery.
Café: fridges and displays, cleaning, and written allergen information for sandwiches, salads and cakes.
Bakery: allergen information for every product, including food packed at the customer's request or for direct sale, which the GIJHARS page says is covered.
Dessert shop: fridge and freezer temperatures (frozen food at -18°C), and allergens for toppings and sauces.
Pub / bar / club: the same records as a restaurant for food you serve. Drinks over 1.2% alcohol need no ingredient list, but their allergens must still be given.
Community hall / venue: if you serve food as a business, the same registration, approval and records apply. We could not confirm a separate rule for halls, so ask your Sanepid office.
Corner shop / grocery: fridge and freezer checks (the 3°C rise is allowed only in shop cabinets and when unloading), delivery checks, and allergen information for unpacked food.
School / nursery kitchen: we could not confirm a separate official rule for school kitchens. The general rules apply, and allergen records for every child matter.
Caterer / food van: the same rules apply. Mobile vans apply to the inspector for the seat or place of operation. Temporary stalls and kiosks apply to the inspector where they operate.
Home kitchen business: home production for regular sale needs registration, but not Sanepid approval of premises. Check the details with your local office.

7. Why digital records help in Poland

No gaps go unnoticed. A missed check shows up the same day, not at the next inspection.
Proof that your checks work. Inspectors may ask for proof, and time-stamped records give it.
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.
Electronic books are allowed. The inspection book may be on paper or electronic (Entrepreneurs' Law, art. 57). We could not find an official Polish statement on electronic HACCP records, so ask your Sanepid office if you are unsure.
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 Polish rules and GIS and Sanepid 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, with the temperatures labelled as law or guidance.
Food safety plan. 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. Poland has no public rating, so it shows a likely result in plain words, not a score from an official scheme.
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. Staff can use the app in their own language, including Polish.

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 złoty 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 nothing to store in a back office.

11. FAQ

Do I legally need food safety records in Poland?

Yes. You need HACCP-based procedures (Regulation 852/2004, Article 5; food safety act, art. 59). GIS says the business sets its own checks, and inspectors may ask for proof that they work.

Who inspects restaurants in Poland?

The State Sanitary Inspection (Sanepid). The district inspector approves, registers and inspects. GIS is the national body.

Do I need Sanepid approval before I open?

Yes. Register and get approval of the premises, applying at least 14 days before you start (biznes.gov.pl).

Is there a hygiene rating in Poland?

No. There is no public rating or sticker, and results for single restaurants are not published.

Are inspections announced?

They may not be. Visits are based on risk and official food controls may be unannounced.

What is the inspection book?

The książka kontroli. You keep it, on paper or electronically, and show it at the start of each inspection (Entrepreneurs' Law, art. 57).

What happens if an inspector finds faults?

A decision orders you to fix them by a set date. Where life or health is in direct danger, the inspector can close the premises at once, and fines can follow.

Are digital food safety records accepted?

The inspection book may be electronic. We could not find an official Polish statement on electronic HACCP records, so ask your Sanepid office.

How long must I keep my records?

We could not confirm a fixed keeping time for HACCP records. Training documents and medical certificates stay in the personnel file, with a copy at work.

What temperature must my fridge be?

Polish law sets no number for restaurants. Official guidance is below 4°C (Sanepid), preferably below 5°C (WHO), unless the label says otherwise.

What temperature must hot food be kept at?

Guidance: above 60°C just before serving. Cooked food should not stay out of the fridge more than 2 hours.

What temperature should I cook and reheat food to?

Guidance: cook to above 70°C (GIS) and reheat to 70°C (Sanepid).

Do my staff need a medical certificate?

Yes. Everyone who works in contact with food needs one for sanitary-epidemiological purposes. The employer sends them for the tests, and it has no expiry date in law.

Do my staff need a food hygiene certificate?

No law sets a certificate, hours or renewal. Training or instruction must be documented.

What allergen information do I need?

For food that is not prepacked, the name of the food and the ingredient list with allergens highlighted, where customers can read it without asking. A QR code alone is not enough. It must be in Polish.

Can staff answer allergen questions instead of writing it down?

No. UOKiK decided that staff answering questions does not replace written information.

Can staff work when they are ill?

Not with a disease that can pass through food, infected wounds, skin infections or diarrhoea. They must tell the manager, and the employer must take them off this work.

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

Vans and temporary stalls follow the same rules and apply to the relevant inspector. Home production for regular sale needs registration, but not approval of premises.

How much does Chef Hygiene cost in Poland?

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

12. Official sources

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