Sanitary Hygiene in Restaurants: From HACCP Requirements to Lessons in the “China Hi”

The success of a restaurant depends on guests’ confidence in the safety of its food. A single failure in a system where restaurant hygiene is key can ruin a reputation, lead to financial losses, and harm people’s health. Modern sanitation and hygiene in restaurants is not an option, but a requirement of our time.

To demonstrate the consequences of ignoring these rules, let’s analyze the high-profile case of mass poisoning this summer at the Chinese Hello restaurant in Lviv. This case is a vivid lesson for every restaurateur.

The legislative framework for food safety in Ukraine

For decades, sanitation and hygiene in restaurants were regulated by the SanPiN 42-123-5777-91 standards. Although the document is formally invalid, many of its provisions remain relevant.

The key problem with SanPiN is its reactivity: government agencies recorded violations after the fact. This created a culture where the goal was to avoid fines rather than systematically comply with sanitary requirements for restaurants.

HACCP – a new safety standard

The HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) system is an approach that focuses on risk prevention at every stage. It is based on seven principles:

1. Analysis of hazardous factors.
2. Identification of critical control points (CCPs) where risks can be eliminated.
3. Establishment of critical limits for each CCP.
4. Establishment of monitoring procedures.
5. Establishment of corrective actions in case of deviations.
6. Establish verification procedures to check the effectiveness of the system.
7. Maintain documentation and records.

The HACCP implementation process requires knowledge, as it is a new level of control that complements the basic sanitary requirements for restaurants. Therefore, many establishments turn to specialized companies for help.

Legal requirements and responsibility

Starting in 2021, HACCP implementation will be mandatory for all catering establishments. The first step is state registration of production facilities with the State Food and Consumer Service.

Failure to comply with the requirements will result in a lot of fines. However, the main thing is a change in the paradigm of responsibility. Now the owner of the establishment bears full legal, financial, and criminal responsibility for product safety.

How to make a restaurant safe?

Premises and equipment

The foundation of food safety is laid at the design stage. Sanitary requirements for the restaurant’s territory and interior play a key role here:

• Establishments must comply with building standards “DBN V. 2.2-25:2009”, have hard-surfaced access roads, and high-quality sewage systems.
• Production premises must be kept at a temperature of 17-23°C and a humidity of 40-60%. Effective ventilation and noise control (no higher than 80 dB(A)) are mandatory.
• All work surfaces must be made of smooth, non-toxic materials that are easy to clean, ideally stainless steel (AISI 201, 304, or 430).

Control at every stage

Every stage of working with food is a potential risk point. Proper restaurant sanitation requires control at each stage:

• Check the accompanying documents for raw materials, the integrity of the packaging, and the absence of signs of spoilage.
• Follow “goods proximity”: raw products should never be stored together with or above ready-made meals to avoid cross-contamination.
• Temperature control is a key factor in slowing down the growth of microorganisms.

Process/Product	Temperature (°C)
Receipt (fresh products)	−1°C to 8°C
Receipt (frozen products)	−30°C to −10°C
Refrigerator storage (general)	−1°C to 5°C
Refrigerator storage (fresh meat)	0°C to 2°C
Refrigerator storage (fresh fish)	−1°C to 1°C
Storage in freezer	Not above −18°C
Heat treatment (ready-made meal)	Not below 75°C
Hot serving/storage (marmite)	Not below 65°C
Cold serving/storage (salads, appetizers)	Not higher than 14°C
Reheating dishes	Not lower than 82°C

• Use separate marked equipment (cutting boards, knives) for raw and ready-to-eat products. Defrost meat in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.
• Hot dishes should be served at a temperature not lower than 65-75°C, cold dishes — not higher than 14°C. Unsold dishes at the end of the day should be disposed of.

Human factor

The human factor is the basis on which all sanitation and hygiene in restaurant establishments rests:

• Thorough hand washing, short nails, and the use of headwear.
• The availability of valid medical certificates.
• Daily admission to work: each employee must report any signs of infectious diseases. For this purpose, a special “Health Journal” is kept.

The “Chinese Greeting” case: crisis as a test of responsibility

It all started on July 16, 2025, with a frenzy of excitement. The new establishment of the famous Kyiv restaurateur Misha Katsurin instantly became the most fashionable place in Lviv. But after just three days, the fairy tale was over. The owner himself was the first to break the unpleasant news, stating that he had been poisoned in his own restaurant.

Instead of remaining silent, Katsurin chose the path of radical transparency. His social media post with apologies and a promise to compensate for medical expenses became a model of crisis communication. He was trying to save trust, not the brand. This step did not stop the crisis — the number of victims rose to 188, and the police opened a criminal case — but it allowed him to save face.

So what happened in the kitchen? The investigation revealed a number of mistakes where the restaurant’s sanitary hygiene was completely ignored. The pathogen was salmonella in a dessert made with raw eggs, but the real cause was a culture of negligence: equipment was washed together, food storage rules were violated, and temperatures were not recorded. This was the inevitable result of ignoring basic sanitary requirements for restaurants.

The consequences were serious: a fine of 48,000 UAH and a criminal case. But the most important thing was the lesson learned: the restaurant reopened only after a complete overhaul and the implementation of a global food safety system.

Preparing for an inspection by the State Food and Consumer Service

Inspections can be scheduled or unscheduled. This means that you need to be ready for an inspection every day. Inspectors assess the extent to which sanitation and hygiene in restaurants comply with standards by checking:

• HACCP documentation, monitoring logs, medical records, and raw material documentation.
• The cleanliness of the premises and equipment, compliance with product proximity, temperature regimes, labeling, and how sanitary requirements for the restaurant premises are met.
• Fire safety, official employment, and the availability of licenses.

Conclusion

You can have the best chef and stylish interior, but if guests are not confident in the safety of the food, you have nothing. Trust is built on impeccable restaurant hygiene. Everything matters: from how sanitary requirements are met on the restaurant premises to the temperature at which dishes are served.

Building a reliable food safety system is an ongoing process. If you want to go beyond simply complying with formal sanitary requirements for restaurants and guarantee your guests the highest level of safety, the BRG team is ready to become your partner. We will help you implement the HACCP system, prepare for inspections, and build a culture where sanitation and hygiene in restaurants are an absolute priority.

Contact us to make your business not only successful but also safe.

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