Restaurants, hotels, canteens and caterers prepare food every day for large numbers of people. Laboratory testing helps verify hygiene, validate the procedures in your HACCP plan and prepare for official inspections.
What we test
For prepared dishes and raw materials we test microbiological hygiene indicators and pathogens such as Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes, and, on request, physico-chemical parameters such as fat or salt. Testing can also support setting or checking the shelf life of prepared food.
Premises hygiene is checked with sanitation swabs on work surfaces, utensils, equipment and staff hands, and with indoor air tests. We also analyse the water used in the kitchen, including water from private sources.
Regulatory framework
General hygiene requirements for food business operators are set by Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, and microbiological criteria by Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005. The general principles of food law are laid down in Regulation (EC) No 178/2002. The quality of water intended for human consumption is regulated at EU level by Directive (EU) 2020/2184.
How we work
We can set up a regular sampling schedule or carry out one-off testing, for example after a complaint or ahead of an audit. Samples are collected and transported under conditions that preserve their integrity. Results are issued in a test report; accredited tests are marked as such on the report and are those listed in the annex to our RENAR accreditation certificate.
Parameters and determinations
Prepared food
- Microbiological hygiene indicators authorised, not accredited
- Pathogens (e.g. Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes) authorised, not accredited
- Physico-chemical parameters (fat, salt) authorised, not accredited
Premises hygiene
- Sanitation tests on surfaces, utensils and hands authorised, not accredited
- Indoor air sanitation tests authorised, not accredited
Water
- Physico-chemical and microbiological analysis of drinking water authorised, not accredited
"RENAR accredited" links to the matching row of the accredited-tests table below (RENAR annex no. 1/24.04.2026); "authorised, not accredited" means authorised by ANSVSA (authorisation no. 95/24.09.2025) but outside the accreditation; "subcontracted" means performed by a partner laboratory. An analysis with two labels is accredited only for the matrices and methods in the table. "Not accredited" (non-food products, which need no authorisation) means performed in the ICA laboratory or by a partner laboratory, outside the accreditation.
This list is not exhaustive and not all determinations are accredited. For anything not listed here, please contact our sales team.