Food Safety Records in Ukraine: Laws, State Service Inspections and HACCP

Ukrainian food safety records explained: the law, State Service inspections, registration, HACCP records, medical books and how digital records help.

2026-10-31 · Chef Hygiene

Do food businesses in Ukraine need food safety records? Yes. Ukrainian food law requires a food safety system based on HACCP principles, and the law sets how long HACCP records must be kept. The State Service on Food Safety and Consumer Protection (Держпродспоживслужба) is the authority. Ukraine has no public hygiene rating, and routine planned inspections are paused under martial law, but checks still happen where there is a risk to life or health. This page explains the Ukrainian 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 or an official regional page, linked in the text and at the end. The main law site zakon.rada.gov.ua could not be opened when we checked, so some law details come from official notes and a mirror of the law text. Where we could not confirm something, we say so. The rules change in wartime, so check the latest with the State Service.

## Contents

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

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

The main laws. Law No. 771/97-VR on basic principles and requirements for food safety and quality, and Law No. 2042-VIII on state control of compliance with food, feed and related legislation (Law 771/97-VR, zakon.rada.gov.ua). The State Service on Food Safety and Consumer Protection (dpss.gov.ua) is the authority.
Register your food premises. Under article 25 of Law 771/97-VR, catering, retail, warehouse and transport facilities that need no operating permit must be registered with the State Service. Registration is free. You apply at least 10 calendar days before you start. Not registering can be fined (State Service regional page). The order that sets the registration procedure has been replaced (Ministry of Agrarian Policy order of 15.02.2024 no. 431). We could not confirm that it is in force, so ask your regional State Service office for the current steps.
A HACCP-based food safety system. HACCP is required by Law 771/97-VR. Article 21(6)(3) says HACCP records must be kept for three months after the end of the last sell-by date. Industry guides approved by the authority may set another period. We read this on a mirror of the law, not on zakon.rada.gov.ua, so check the current text (Article 21, mirror of the law).
Temperatures. We found no kitchen temperature numbers for restaurants in Ukraine's food law, so we give none here. Ask the State Service whether the industry guide for your type of business sets any.
Staff medical checks. Food workers need a personal medical book (особиста медична книжка) with up-to-date medical checks. Ministry of Health Order No. 1393 of 8 September 2025 sets new rules for compulsory medical checks of certain categories of workers (Ministry of Health, Order 1393). Ask your health authority which checks apply to each employee.
Hygiene training. Food handlers need training in food hygiene for their work. We could not confirm a fixed course name or renewal period.
Staff who are ill. Staff ill with something that can pass through food should stay away from food work. We could not confirm the exact wording of the Ukrainian rule.
Allergens. Law No. 2639-VIII of 6 December 2018 "On information for consumers about food" covers food sold in public catering, and its article 15 deals with allergens and intolerance substances. We read only the contents page and a summary, not the article text. A search summary says the list has 14 groups. We could not confirm how a restaurant must give allergen information for loose food (Law 2639-VIII summary).

## 2. Who inspects you, and how often

The State Service. The State Service on Food Safety and Consumer Protection (Держпродспоживслужба) inspects food businesses, through its regional offices.
Martial law. Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 303 of 13 March 2022 stopped planned inspections under martial law. Since 2025 it has been narrowed several times, and it lets the service run unscheduled checks where there is a threat to life or health, including under food law (Resolution 303). We could not open the latest consolidated text, so check the current position.
After a visit. An inspector writes a report (an act) and tells you what to put right and by when. Under Law 2042-VIII the inspector can fine the business, take unsafe food off the market and, if health is at risk, stop the activity. Fines are set as multiples of the minimum wage.
A complaint can start a check. Even while planned inspections are paused, a complaint or a risk to health can bring an inspector.
Why records still matter. The pause is a wartime measure. Records show an inspector, or a customer, that your system works every day.

## 3. No public rating

No rating. Ukraine has no public hygiene rating, sticker or score, and nothing has to be displayed.
What this means for you. There is no score to improve. What counts is that the premises are registered, your HACCP-based system works, staff have their medical books and your records are complete.

## 4. The records inspectors ask for

Ukrainian law asks for a HACCP-based system and keeps HACCP records for a set period. It does not give a list of forms. These are the records that normally show such a system works:

Daily checks of fridges, freezers, cooking and hot holding, with time, name and any action taken.
Cleaning records.
Deliveries and supplier records, for traceability.
Staff records: personal medical books and hygiene training.
The food safety plan and when it was last reviewed.
Pest control reports.
Allergen information for every dish.
Registration of the premises with the State Service.

How long to keep them. HACCP records: three months after the end of the last sell-by date (Law 771/97-VR, article 21(6)(3)). Other records: we could not confirm a period.

## 5. Where businesses go wrong

Not registering the premises. This can be fined (see section 1).
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 out of range with nothing written about what was done.
Lost or damaged pages. Paper gets wet, greasy or thrown away, and HACCP records must still be there three months after the sell-by date.
Medical books out of date. Staff working without current checks.
Training not shown. Staff were trained, but nothing proves it.
Allergens only by word of mouth. We could not confirm the exact restaurant rule, so written information is the safe choice.

## 6. By type of business

We found no official page that sets different food safety rules by type of business, so the same law applies to all. The records you keep depend on what you do.

Restaurant: daily checks, cooking and hot holding, cooling, deliveries, cleaning and allergen information for every dish.
Takeaway: the same as a restaurant, plus allergen information for orders by phone or app.
Café: fridges and displays, cleaning, and allergen information for sandwiches and salads.
Bakery / cake shop: allergen records for every product and labels for goods you pack.
Dessert shop: fridge and freezer records 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: register the premises if you serve food as a business, and keep cleaning and temperature records for each event.
Corner shop / grocery: fridge and freezer checks, delivery checks and labels for food you pack yourself. Pre-packed food falls under the consumer information law.
School / nursery kitchen: cleaning and temperature records, medical-book records for staff, and careful allergen records for every child.
Caterer / food van: transport and event temperatures. Transport facilities are named in article 25, so ask the State Service how a van is registered.
Home kitchen business: we could not confirm a separate rule. Ask the State Service whether and how to register.

## 7. Why digital records help in Ukraine

Accepted? We could not find an official Ukrainian page that says whether electronic HACCP records are accepted, so ask your State Service office if you are unsure.
No gaps go unnoticed. A missed check shows up the same day.
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, and records stay available for the retention period.
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 Ukrainian rules we could confirm. 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 Ukrainian law sets no number, the app says so.
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. Ukraine has no public rating, so it shows no score card.
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. The app works in Ukrainian, and staff can use it 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 hryvnia 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 Ukraine?

Yes. Law 771/97-VR requires a food safety system based on HACCP, and HACCP records must be kept for three months after the end of the last sell-by date (article 21(6)(3)).

### Who inspects restaurants in Ukraine?

The State Service on Food Safety and Consumer Protection (Держпродспоживслужба).

### Do I have to register before I open?

Yes. Catering and retail facilities that need no operating permit must be registered with the State Service, free, at least 10 calendar days before you start (Law 771/97-VR, article 25). Check the current procedure with your regional office.

### Are inspections happening during the war?

Planned inspections are paused under Cabinet Resolution No. 303 of 2022. Unscheduled checks can happen where there is a threat to life or health. The rules have been changed several times, so check the latest.

### Is there a hygiene rating in Ukraine?

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

### What happens after an inspection?

The inspector writes a report and tells you what to put right and by when. The service can fine the business, take unsafe food off the market and stop the activity if health is at risk.

### How big are the fines?

They are set as multiples of the minimum wage. Ask your regional State Service office for the current amounts.

### Is HACCP required?

Yes, under Law 771/97-VR.

### How long must I keep my records?

HACCP records for three months after the end of the last sell-by date. Industry guides approved by the authority may set another period. We could not confirm periods for other records.

### Are digital food safety records accepted?

We could not find an official page that says so directly. Ask your State Service office if you are unsure.

### What temperature must my fridge be?

We found no fridge temperature number in Ukraine's food law. Ask the State Service about the guide for your type of business.

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

We found no number in the law, so we cannot give one.

### Do my staff need a medical book?

Yes. Food workers need a personal medical book with up-to-date medical checks. Ministry of Health Order No. 1393 of 2025 sets the current rules for compulsory checks.

### Do my staff need hygiene training?

Food handlers need training in food hygiene for their work. We could not confirm a course name or renewal period.

### Can staff work when they are ill?

Staff ill with something that can pass through food should stay away from food work. Ask your health authority for the exact rule.

### What allergen information do I need?

Law 2639-VIII on consumer information covers public catering and has an article on allergens. We could not read the article text, so we could not confirm how a restaurant must give the information for loose food. Written information is the safe choice.

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

Transport facilities are named in article 25 of Law 771/97-VR. We could not confirm a rule for home kitchens, so ask the State Service.

### Does Chef Hygiene work in Ukrainian?

Yes, the app works in Ukrainian, and in 40 languages in all.

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

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

## 12. Official sources

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

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