Food Safety Standards
Food safety overview
Section titled “Food safety overview”All food service businesses must comply with food safety requirements to prevent foodborne illness. Violations result in fines, suspension of operations, and harm to guests.
Key Russian standards: SanPiN 2.3/2.4.3590-20, Technical Regulation TR CU 021/2011 (Food Safety).
HACCP principles
Section titled “HACCP principles”HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is an internationally recognized food safety management system. It consists of seven principles:
- Hazard analysis — identify biological, chemical, and physical hazards at each stage of food preparation.
- Identify Critical Control Points (CCPs) — determine which stages are critical for preventing hazards (e.g., cooking temperature, cooling).
- Set critical limits — define measurable parameters for each CCP (e.g., internal poultry temperature ≥ 85°C).
- Monitoring system — define how and how often each CCP is monitored.
- Corrective actions — define what to do when a CCP exceeds critical limits.
- Verification — confirm the HACCP system is working effectively.
- Record keeping — document all monitoring results and corrective actions.
Temperature control
Section titled “Temperature control”Temperature is one of the most critical food safety factors. Bacteria multiply rapidly in the danger zone: +5°C to +60°C.
| Food state | Safe temperature |
|---|---|
| Refrigerated foods | Below +4°C |
| Frozen foods | Below −18°C |
| Hot holding | Above +60°C |
| Cooked poultry | Internal ≥ +85°C |
| Ground meat | Internal ≥ +85°C |
| Whole cuts of meat | Internal ≥ +72°C |
Allergen management
Section titled “Allergen management”Under TR CU 022/2011, food businesses must inform customers about the presence of the following allergens:
- Gluten-containing grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats)
- Crustaceans
- Eggs
- Fish
- Peanuts
- Soya
- Milk (including lactose)
- Nuts (walnut, cashew, pecan, Brazil nut, pistachio, almond, hazelnut, macadamia)
- Celery
- Mustard
- Sesame
- Sulphur dioxide / sulphites (when content exceeds 10 mg/kg)
- Lupin
- Molluscs
Allergen procedures
Section titled “Allergen procedures”- Train all staff to identify allergens in menu items.
- Maintain an up-to-date allergen matrix for every dish.
- When a guest declares an allergy — immediately notify the kitchen and use a separate preparation process.
- Prevent cross-contamination: dedicated utensils and preparation zones.
Personal hygiene
Section titled “Personal hygiene”All staff who handle food must:
- Wash hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water:
- Before handling food
- After handling raw meat
- After using the toilet
- After coughing, sneezing, or blowing their nose
- Not work when experiencing symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting, fever.
- Keep nails short and clean.
- Wear hair coverings in food preparation areas.
- Remove jewelry in food preparation areas.
- Hold a valid personal health record (medical book) — required by Russian law.
Required documentation
Section titled “Required documentation”Maintain the following logs:
- Temperature logs (refrigerators, freezers, cooking, hot holding)
- Cleaning and disinfection logs
- Goods receiving logs
- Staff medical records
- Pest control logs