STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS
1 – All premises used for work activities must conform to the requirements stipulated by the Presidential Decree 303/56, without affecting any exceptions and applicable community regulations.
2 – All bathrooms, changing rooms and associated storerooms without permanent personnel must be at least 2.40 metres high. Areas used as "cellars" (for wine and similar goods) may be as low, but not lower than, 2.00 metres.
Changing rooms must be located so that they do not pose hygiene hazards in areas used to prepare/handle food.
3 – The walls in food preparation and storage areas, and bathrooms must be finished using light coloured, smooth, impermeable materials that are easy to wash and disinfect (for example, stainless steel, ceramics) up to a height of at least 2 metres.
4 – The floors in all areas must be finished in materials that are easily washed and disinfected. Where possible, preparation and storage area floors should be fitted with systems for collecting water used for washing that are connected to sewers or other authorised drainage systems.
5 – All businesses must be fitted with one or more fully equipped bathroom, depending on the number of employees, for exclusive use of its staff. The WC must not communicate directly with working areas.
A fully-equipped bathroom shall consist of the following two areas:
- washing area, which must be provided with a self-closing door, at least one hand-basin with elbow-, pedal- or electronically-operated taps, liquid or powder soap dispenser, and disposable towels or hot air hand dryer;
- WC: "hole in the floor" type lavatories are not recommended; the WC must contain at least one flushing lavatory and a window with a minimum area of 0.4 m2; if this is not possible, the WC must be equipped with a ventilation system capable of 6 air changes per hour, in the case of continuous operation, or 12 changes per hour in the case of systems that are activated only when the facility is in use.
In the case of disabled bathrooms, the washing area need not be separate from the WC, provided they are not directly accessible from food preparation or handling areas.
All bathrooms must be equipped with a siphon drain for cleaning operations.
The minimum overall surface area must be at least 2 m2.
6 – All areas must be equipped with adequate natural and/or mechanical air exchanger ventilation systems.
Areas that are not provided with natural ventilation may be used if they are equipped with suitable mechanical ventilation systems with an adequate air exchanger.
7 – All cooking areas (including partial cooking areas) must be equipped with smoke and vapour extraction systems connected to chimney flues that discharge at a height of at least 1.5 m above the building roof level, and that of any surrounding buildings within a radius of 10 metres.
In town centres, cooking areas (including partial cooking areas), but excluding wood-burning or similar ovens, extraction systems may be connected to "gutter" type flues, which discharge at the same height as mentioned above.
In the case of re-heating pre-cooked meals prepared by authorised suppliers, an extractor hood with an appropriate filter may be used.
8 – Premises must be equipped with hot and cold drinking water from the local mains supply.
When there is no local mains water supply, drinking water may be accumulated in appropriate cisterns.
9 – Different types of foodstuffs must be stored or displayed in distinct compartments, separate from non-foods.
Different types of foodstuffs must be kept separately from one another in order to avoid cross contamination.
10 – Windows for displaying unwrapped foods may only be opened by authorised personnel.
Local producers of perishable foodstuffs must also equipped with storage facilities that ensure the goods are adequately conserved, in particular, refrigerated display windows at a temperature of less then 10°C in the case of fresh pasta, and 4°C in the case of other perishable goods that must be kept chilled, or a heated to between 60°C and 65 °C for goods that must be stored at high temperatures; all such equipment must be fitted with thermometers that are visible to the end consumer.
11 – Cold stores and refrigerators must be equipped with thermometers than can be read from the outside.
12 – With the exception of greengrocers, foodstuffs may not be displayed outside the premises or the display/sales stalls, unless they are housed in lockable display windows constructed using materials that are suitable for contact with foodstuffs.
Display windows that are used to contain provisions may only be stored in external fixtures that are located in areas where traffic is limited.
13 – Animals must not be kept on the premises.
14 – In the case of farm holiday centres certain exceptions are made to the legal requirements and other regulations governing the sector.
15 – Food storage areas, even if not directly accessible from the premises, must be authorised in accordance with the corresponding requirements of article 2 of Law 283/62.
Food storage areas must be correctly dimensioned and equipped with an appropriate number of storage units for the type of activity, ensuring that daily cleaning activities, packing removal procedures, packaging controls and product rotation can all be carried out without obstructions.
Provided the local health authority is in agreement, and all the national and community regulations are satisfied, small scale local activities, and those connected to retail outlets may be exempt from maintaining a storage area, provided that raw materials, containers, packaging and other items are replenished continuously and that any stocks are small and stored in parts of the premises where they do not obstruct working or cleaning activities; in any event, the premises must be sufficiently large to allow all the activities to be carried out in separate areas.
16 – Premises and equipment must be laid out in order to ensure unobstructed passage to personnel in accordance with the requirements of Legislative Decree 155/97.
17 – Waste materials must be removed from preparation areas as soon as possible.
18 – Preparation areas must be sufficiently large to handle production volumes, and, in accordance with regulations, must be at least 12 m2.