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The short answer
In Italy, the HACCP requirement has two parts: the food business must run written self-control procedures based on the seven HACCP principles, and the people who handle food must be trained in food hygiene, which is usually evidenced by an “attestato HACCP” from a training provider. Course length, refresher intervals and who counts as a food handler vary by region, so check your region’s rule with the local ASL before you book a course.
Nigerians in Italy meet HACCP in many jobs: kitchen staff, restaurant owners, caterers for weddings and church events, African grocery shops, food delivery and baking from a rented kitchen. The word is used loosely, and that causes confusion. An employer may ask for your “HACCP” meaning a training certificate; the ASL inspector means your business’s food-safety plan. You may need both.
Three different things called “HACCP”
| Item | Who needs it | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| HACCP-based procedures (piano di autocontrollo) | The food business | A written plan identifying hazards, critical control points, limits, checks and records |
| Hygiene training (attestato HACCP) | People who handle food, and those responsible for the plan | A course certificate from a training provider |
| Professional qualification for selling food | The owner or a nominated person in food retail or catering | A separate requirement for opening a food business, not covered by an HACCP course |
The third row trips people up. A Florence chamber guide (2009) described the food trade qualification as met by a recognised course with an exam, two years’ qualified work in the last five, or a relevant degree. An HACCP course alone does not meet it. See opening an African food shop.
The seven principles your plan must follow
The FAO’s Good Hygiene Practices and HACCP Toolbox (2023) sets out seven principles applied in twelve steps:
- Conduct a hazard analysis.
- Determine the critical control points (CCPs).
- Establish critical limits for each CCP.
- Establish monitoring of each CCP.
- Establish corrective actions when a limit is not met.
- Validate the plan and verify that it works.
- Keep documentation and records.
The FAO notes that records should be proportionate, on paper or electronic, and “do not need to be complicated”. A small shop selling dry, packaged goods has a short plan. A kitchen cooking jollof, pepper soup and suya for events has more control points: cooking temperatures, cooling, hot holding and transport.
Getting the training certificate
- Find your region’s rule. Ask the ASL or your region’s health pages which roles need training, the minimum hours and how often it must be refreshed.
- Choose a provider recognised in your region. Trade associations, training bodies and some chambers run courses, often online.
- Choose the right level. Courses usually differ for people who only handle food and for the person responsible for the business’s plan.
- Keep the certificate where an inspector can see it, and note the refresher date.
Ask for course materials in English if your Italian is still developing; some providers offer it, and understanding the content matters more than the certificate.
What an inspector usually asks to see
- The written HACCP-based plan, matched to what you actually prepare or sell.
- Monitoring records: fridge and freezer temperatures, cooking and cooling logs, cleaning schedules.
- Training certificates for the people working that day.
- Supplier invoices showing where products came from, which matters for imported goods such as dried fish, palm oil and spices.
- Evidence of pest control and of how waste is handled.
Records that are filled in on the day, even by hand, carry more weight than a perfect binder written once and never updated. The FAO toolbox makes the same point: proportionate records that are kept are better than complex ones that are not.
Catering at community events
Cooking for a wedding, a naming ceremony or a church harvest is often done informally. Once it is paid and regular, it is a food business: it needs registration, a suitable kitchen and HACCP-based procedures. Cooking at home for sale raises questions about the kitchen itself, so ask the SUAP and ASL before you take orders.
What to check first
- Your region’s training rule (hours, refresh, who must attend).
- Whether you need the separate food trade qualification.
- Whether your kitchen or premises can be registered for food use.
- Who will write and keep the HACCP plan if you have staff.
Where Pryme fits
Food businesses buying Nigerian ingredients pay suppliers at home. A Pryme Business Account, opened from any country, holds EUR and NGN; Swap shows the rate and fee before you approve, and invoicing helps with event clients. Outside Nigeria, Pryme’s activities are carried out through regulated partners.
Questions people ask
Is an HACCP certificate mandatory in Italy?
Food handlers must be trained in hygiene, usually shown with an attestato HACCP; the business must also run HACCP-based procedures. Details vary by region.
How long is an HACCP certificate valid?
Refresher intervals are set regionally. Check with your ASL or the training provider for your region.
Is the HACCP course enough to open a food shop?
No. Food retail and catering also need a separate professional qualification, premises registration and a SCIA.
Can I do the HACCP course online?
Many providers offer online courses. Make sure the provider is recognised in the region where you work.
Sources
- Good Hygiene Practices and HACCP Toolbox (FAO, 2023) · accessed Oct 2026
- Guida per la creazione di una nuova impresa (Prefettura e Camera di Commercio di Firenze, 2009) · accessed Oct 2026
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