Food Safety Records in San Marino: Laws, ISS Inspections and Training

San Marino food safety records explained: the decrees, ISS inspections, sanitary authorisation, staff courses, allergens, and how digital records help.

2026-10-31 · Chef Hygiene

Do food businesses in San Marino need food safety records? Yes. San Marino is not in the EU, but it has its own decrees on food hygiene. Every food business must have a written hygiene plan and keep records that show it is applied, and most must also have a written HACCP self-control manual. The Social Security Institute (ISS) inspects, and food workers must attend a food hygiene course. San Marino has 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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This page covers the Republic of San Marino. The language of the laws is Italian, and the Chef Hygiene app works in Italian (and in 40 languages in all). Every fact below comes from an official source, linked in the text and at the end. Where we could not confirm something, we say so, and you should ask the ISS.

## Contents

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

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

The main laws. San Marino made the EU hygiene rules into its own decrees: Decreto Delegato (DD) 70/2012 on food hygiene, DD 73/2012 on official controls, and Decree 32/2005 on hygiene standards for food products. They sit under Law 85/1992, the general public health law (ISS: food hygiene rules).
Sanitary authorisation first. Before you open you need a sanitary authorisation (Autorizzazione Sanitaria) from the ISS, after an inspection of the premises (Law 85/1992, art. 10; DD 70/2012, art. 6). A commercial licence is also needed. We could not confirm the current application steps online, so ask the ISS.
A written hygiene plan (SSOP). Every food business must have a written plan of its hygiene procedures. It describes the cleaning done before work starts and during work, says how often each procedure is done and who does it, and is signed by the owner or the person in charge. The business must check every day that the plan is really applied, take corrective action when it fails, and keep records signed by the person who did the check (Decree 32/2005, art. 4). Schools that serve meals are covered too.
A HACCP self-control manual. Food businesses other than retail shops must also write a self-control manual based on the 7 HACCP principles: hazard analysis, critical control points, limits, monitoring, corrective actions, record keeping and verification. It must be dated and signed by the person in charge, and reviewed at least yearly and whenever a process changes (Decree 32/2005, art. 5).
When. New businesses must meet these duties within 3 months of the authorisation (Decree 32/2005, art. 7).
Temperatures. San Marino law gives no numbers for fridges, freezers, cooking, hot holding, cooling or reheating. The decrees only say that the cold chain must not be broken and that food must be cooled as quickly as possible (DD 70/2012, Annex II). Your own HACCP manual sets your limits, so we do not quote any as legal.
Staff training. Food handlers must be trained in food hygiene for their work, and the people who run the HACCP system must be trained in HACCP (DD 70/2012, Annex II, ch. XII). In addition, Decree 109/2005 requires a food hygiene course (see section 4).
Staff who are ill. A worker with a disease that food can carry, infected wounds, skin infections, sores or diarrhoea must stop food work and tell the person responsible at once (DD 70/2012, Annex II, ch. VIII). The law gives no return-to-work time.
Allergens. For food that is not prepacked, information on the 14 allergens is mandatory and must be in Italian (DD 23/2015, which ratifies DD 214/2014, arts. 15 and 44). See the FAQ for what the decree does not say.

## 2. Who inspects you, and how often

The ISS. The Social Security Institute (Istituto per la Sicurezza Sociale, ISS) Prevention Department, veterinary health and food hygiene unit, is the single national authority for food hygiene and official controls (DD 70/2012, art. 2; DD 73/2012, art. 4).
Risk-based and unannounced. Visits are based on risk, are unannounced, and follow a multi-year control plan (DD 73/2012, art. 3).
How often. We could not confirm an official fixed visit schedule, so we do not give one.
Your plan is checked. The veterinary service checks the manual is properly written and keeps checking it is followed. You must keep your check results available for the authority (Decree 32/2005, art. 6).
After a visit. You get a report. If something does not comply, there is a corrective order with a deadline. The ISS can restrict or ban sales, suspend operations, close the business in whole or in part, and suspend or withdraw recognition. (DD 73/2012, art. 28).

## 3. No rating, but real powers

No rating. San Marino has no public hygiene rating, score or sticker, and nothing about your inspection has to be displayed.
Serious consequences. The authorisation can be withdrawn if you have no hygiene plan or no self-control manual (Decree 32/2005, art. 8). The sanctions are in section 5.
Records are your proof. The inspector uses them to see whether the plan works every day.

## 4. The records inspectors ask for

The law asks for records that are enough to document the application and monitoring of your plan, and the corrective actions taken. In practice that means:

Cleaning records. The hygiene plan checks, signed by who did them (Decree 32/2005, art. 4).
Monitoring records for critical points. The data from your HACCP manual: what was checked, how often and the result (art. 5).
Corrective actions. What you did when a limit was missed.
The plan and the manual themselves. Dated and signed, reviewed at least yearly and after any change.
Training certificates. Food workers must attend a food hygiene course within one month of starting a new activity or being hired, and then every two years, and must hold the certificate of attendance (Decree 109/2005, art. 3). This covers everyone who handles food, including the owner and family who help, even unpaid. Courses cover food risks, personal hygiene, cleaning and the self-control rules (art. 4). Some diplomas and degrees are exempt (art. 5). Not having the certificate can lead to an administrative fine of €50 to €300 on the person in charge of the business (art. 6) (Decree 109/2005 on the ISS site).
Health booklet. Decree 109/2005 mentions the older health booklet (libretto sanitario) held by some staff. We could not confirm whether it is still required for new staff, so ask the ISS.
Allergen information for every dish that is not prepacked.

How long to keep them. The law only says an adequate period (DD 70/2012, art. 5). We could not confirm a fixed number of years, so we do not give one. Ask the ISS if you want certainty.

## 5. Where businesses go wrong

The amounts below come from the decree texts:

No plan or no manual. Not writing the hygiene plan or the self-control manual means withdrawal of the sanitary authorisation and an administrative fine of €1,459 to €5,165 (Decree 32/2005, art. 8).
Plan not followed, or records kept badly. Not following the plan or manual, or keeping the records incorrectly, brings a fine of €150 to €5,165 depending on how serious the fault is. For repeat offences, the business can also be suspended (Decree 32/2005, art. 9).
Working without authorisation. A fine of €1,500 to €6,000, plus immediate suspension (DD 70/2012, art. 13).
Breaking the hygiene rules. For a restaurant, a fine of €500 to €3,000 (DD 70/2012, art. 13).
Not putting things right by the deadline. A fine of €500 to €3,000 (DD 70/2012, art. 13).
No training certificate. €50 to €300 (Decree 109/2005, art. 6).

Common record problems:

Gaps. Days with no checks written down.
Unsigned records. The law says records must be signed by the person responsible.
A plan that doesn't match the kitchen. A system on paper that staff do not follow.
No action recorded. A problem found, with nothing written about what was done.
No yearly review. The manual has not been looked at since it was written.
Training not shown. Staff were trained, but the certificate is missing or out of date.
Allergens by word of mouth only. The decree makes the information mandatory, in Italian.

## 6. By type of business

The sanitary authorisation and the hygiene plan apply to every food business. The self-control manual excludes retail sale activities, so what you must keep depends on what you do.

Restaurant: hygiene plan, HACCP manual, signed cleaning and monitoring records, and allergen information in Italian for every dish.
Takeaway: the same as a restaurant. We could not confirm a separate rule for delivery or app orders.
Café: the same duties for the food you prepare. Sandwiches and salads made on site are food that is not prepacked, so the allergen rule applies.
Bakery / cake shop: you make food, so the plan and manual are the starting point. Allergen information covers food prepacked for direct sale as well as loose products (DD 214/2014, art. 44). Ask the ISS how the retail exclusion applies to you.
Dessert shop: the same as a bakery.
Pub / bar / club: the same records for the food you serve, plus allergen information.
Community hall / venue: we could not confirm a separate rule. If you serve food as a business, assume the authorisation, plan and training duties apply and ask the ISS.
Corner shop / grocery: retail sale is excluded from the HACCP manual duty, but the hygiene plan and allergen information for food you pack yourself apply.
School / nursery kitchen: schools that serve meals must have the hygiene plan (Decree 32/2005, art. 4). Keep careful allergen records for each child.
Caterer / food van: the decree counts storing, transporting and mobile selling as food business, so the same duties apply (Decree 32/2005, art. 2).
Home kitchen business: we could not confirm a separate regime. Treat it as a food business and ask the ISS before you start.

## 7. Why digital records help in San Marino

Signed and dated. The law wants documented, signed monitoring. A digital record carries the time and the name.
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, which is what the corrective-action rule requires.
Ready for the ISS. You can show everything at once, instead of looking for folders. We did not find a San Marino page that says whether digital records are accepted, so ask the ISS if you are unsure.
Every staff member can take part. Staff record checks on a phone or tablet, in their own language.

## 8. How Chef Hygiene helps

Chef Hygiene follows the San Marino 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, in Italian.
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 and a "Put it right" list, showing the likely result in San Marino's own system: no action, improvement to make, or closure.
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.

## 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, so that as many food businesses as possible 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 San Marino?

Yes. Every food business needs a written hygiene plan and records that document its checks, signed by the person responsible (Decree 32/2005, art. 4). Most also need a HACCP self-control manual (art. 5).

### Is San Marino in the EU?

No, but its decrees put the EU hygiene rules into San Marino law.

### Who inspects restaurants in San Marino?

The ISS Prevention Department, veterinary health and food hygiene unit. It is the single national authority.

### Does the allergen rule cover prepacked food for direct sale?

Yes (DD 214/2014, art. 44).

### Do I need permission before I open?

Yes. You need a sanitary authorisation from the ISS after an inspection, and a commercial licence. Working without the authorisation can bring a fine of €1,500 to €6,000 and immediate suspension (DD 70/2012, art. 13).

### Is there a hygiene rating in San Marino?

No. There is no public rating, score or sticker, and nothing has to be displayed.

### What happens if an inspector finds a problem?

You get a report and, for non-compliance, a corrective order with a deadline. The ISS can restrict or ban sale, suspend operations or close the business in whole or in part (DD 73/2012, art. 28).

### How often must I review my HACCP manual?

At least once a year, and whenever a process or the type of activity changes. It must be dated and signed (Decree 32/2005, art. 5).

### Do shops need a HACCP manual?

The manual duty excludes retail sale activities, but the hygiene plan still applies (Decree 32/2005, arts. 4 and 5). Ask the ISS about your case.

### What temperature must my fridge be?

San Marino law sets no number. The decrees only say the cold chain must not be broken. Your own HACCP manual sets your limits.

### Are digital food safety records accepted?

We did not find an official San Marino statement on this. The law asks for records that document your checks and are signed, which a digital record with a time and a name can do. Ask the ISS if you are unsure.

### How long must I keep my records?

The law says an adequate period (DD 70/2012, art. 5) and gives no number.

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

Yes. Food workers must attend a course within one month of starting or being hired, and then every two years, and hold the certificate (Decree 109/2005, art. 3). Some qualifications are exempt (art. 5).

### Can staff work when they are ill?

Not with a disease food can carry, infected wounds, skin infections, sores or diarrhoea. They must stop food work and tell the person responsible at once. The law gives no return-to-work time.

### What allergen information do I need?

Information on the 14 allergens for food that is not prepacked, in Italian (DD 214/2014, arts. 15 and 44). The decree does not say whether it must be written or can be given by word of mouth, so we could not confirm this. Ask the ISS.

### How much does Chef Hygiene cost in San Marino?

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

## 12. Official sources

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

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