ADMINISTRATIVE LIABILITY FOR VIOLATION OF FOOD SAFETY REQUIREMENTS IN THE FIELD OF CATERING ACTIVITIES

Abstract

Administrative liability for violations of food safety requirements in the field of catering activities is one of the key instruments of state influence aimed at ensuring the sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population. In the context of the development of the restaurant industry, mobile service formats, delivery services, and off-site catering, the issue of monitoring compliance with hygienic and technological standards becomes particularly relevant, since even a single violation of storage, transportation, or food preparation conditions may lead to mass food poisoning and significant public health risks. Food safety is regarded not merely as a production or commercial category, but as an element of the realization of the constitutional right to a safe environment and an adequate level of health protection. The regulatory framework in this area is based on the provisions of the Law of Ukraine “On Basic Principles and Requirements for Food Safety and Quality”, which implements the approaches of European Union legislation and establishes a risk-based model of state control. According to this Law, the key subject of liability is the food business operator a legal entity or an individual entrepreneur engaged in the production, storage, transportation, or distribution of food products. In the field of catering, the operator is the owner of a restaurant, café, or catering company who bears primary and full responsibility for the safety of products at all stages of circulation. This approach corresponds to the European “farm-to-fork” concept, according to which the business operator assumes the main obligation to ensure food safety, while the state exercises supervision and control.

Thus, administrative liability for violations of food safety requirements in the catering sector serves as an important element of the mechanism for ensuring food security and protecting consumer rights. Its implementation is based on the combination of the principle of personal responsibility of the food business operator, state risk-based control, and the mandatory implementation of the HACCP system as a modern tool for managing hazards within the food chain.


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