Ice cream regulations and inspections in Slovakia and Czechia

What the Slovak Decree No. 82/2018 Z. z. and the Czech Decree No. 397/2016 Sb. require, who inspects ice cream shops and what inspections found in 2020–2025.

Ice cream is one of the most closely monitored foods of the summer season. It is made from milk, eggs and fruit, served without any further heat treatment, and when unpackaged it passes through scoops, machines and display cases. That’s why it is covered by both EU regulations and national decrees, and why authorities in both Slovakia and Czechia inspect it every summer.

Common European Union rules

Three regulations apply equally in Slovakia and Czechia:

  • Regulation (EC) 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs – every food business operator must register and have procedures based on HACCP principles (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points).
  • Regulation (EC) 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria – sets out which bacteria are monitored in food. For ice cream this mainly means Enterobacteriaceae as an indicator of production hygiene, and salmonella; for ready-to-eat foods, listeria as well.
  • Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 – allergen information must be available even for unpackaged foods, including scooped ice cream.

What “frozen cream” means in law

The official name for ice cream in Slovakia is mrazený krém (“frozen cream”, Decree of the Slovak Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development No. 82/2018 Z. z.) and in Czechia mražený krém (Decree No. 397/2016 Sb.). Both decrees distinguish groups according to composition and set minimum contents.

Group (minimum, % by weight)SK 82/2018CZ 397/2016
Cream – milk fat8 % (total solids 30 %, milk proteins 2.5 %)8 %
Milk – milk fat2.5 % (total solids 26 %, milk solids non-fat 6 %)2.5 % (milk solids non-fat 6 %)
With vegetable fat5 % vegetable fat5 %
Fruitfruit component 15 % (10 % for sour and exotic fruit)total solids 12 %, fruit 15 %
Sorbetfruit component 25 %total solids 12 %, fruit 25 %
Alcoholno more than 3 %, stated in the nameno more than 3.0 %, stated in the name

Source: Decrees No. 82/2018 Z. z. and No. 397/2016 Sb.

Both decrees also recognise tvaroh (quark) or yogurt frozen cream – the word “milk” may be replaced by the name of the dairy product. Plant-based ice cream must not be called cream or milk ice cream; it belongs in the vegetable-fat group or among water ices.

Production rules in Slovakia

Slovak Decree No. 82/2018 Z. z. also sets out the production process:

  • the mix is pasteurised and then cooled to no more than 7 °C,
  • ageing of the mix takes place at 4–7 °C,
  • pasteurised mix that isn’t used within 48 hours must be discarded,
  • finished products are stored at −18 °C or below,
  • frozen creams that have thawed and been refrozen must not be placed on the market.

Czech Decree No. 397/2016 Sb. also requires storage at −18 °C or below; during transport it allows a brief rise to no more than −15 °C.

In Slovakia

Under Decree of the Slovak Ministry of Health No. 533/2007 Z. z., ice cream shops in Slovakia must take samples and keep them for 48 hours. Missing samples were among the most common shortcomings in the 2025 season.

Who inspects ice cream shops

Slovakia. A shop needs registration with the State Veterinary and Food Administration (ŠVPS SR, via its regional veterinary and food administration) and a decision from the regional public health authority (RÚVZ) approving the premises for operation – with operating rules, a cleaning plan and HACCP. Unpackaged ice cream in shops is inspected by the RÚVZ and the Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic (ÚVZ SR); production and retail by ŠVPS SR.

Czechia. A business owner needs a trade licence, registration as a food business and HACCP. According to the specialist portal PotravinyInfo.cz, since 1 January 2025 (Act No. 321/2024 Sb.) restaurants, cafés, stalls – and therefore ice cream shops – have been supervised by SZPI (Státní zemědělská a potravinářská inspekce, the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority). The regional public health stations (krajské hygienické stanice) have kept mainly school, healthcare and social care facilities.

In Czechia

Older guidance on soft serve from the regional public health stations remains useful (for example the requirement for a sink with hot and cold drinking water and for sanitising the dispensing mechanism), but inspections are now carried out by SZPI.

Inspection results in Czechia

Every summer SZPI takes samples of soft serve and scooped ice cream and tests them microbiologically.

YearShare of unsatisfactory samples (SZPI)
202051 %
202148.3 %
202253.3 %
202345 %
202452 %
2025 (to 1 Sept)46 % (67 of 146)

Source: SZPI, press release from September 2025.

The most common cause was excessive Enterobacteriaceae – bacteria that reveal inadequate hygiene. According to SZPI, this is down to poor cleaning of machines and procedures not being followed; with soft serve, typically leftovers not being thrown away at the end of the day and going back into the machine in the morning. Inspectors can ban the use of a machine until the shop has cleaned it and a new test comes back satisfactory, and can start administrative proceedings for a fine.

Warning

Nearly half of samples being unsatisfactory doesn’t mean half of all ice cream in Czechia is unsafe. SZPI selects the outlets it samples deliberately, often the high-risk ones. The figures show that hygiene problems are common, not their exact share of the market.

Inspection results in Slovakia

According to a report in the daily Pravda from October 2025, citing results from ÚVZ SR, public health inspectors in the 2025 season carried out:

  • 1,821 inspections in 968 outlets, finding shortcomings in 228 of them (about 23.5 %),
  • 1,312 microbiological tests, of which 180 failed (about 14 %),
  • 812 chemical tests focused on colourings (12 failed) and 703 surface swabs (134 failed),
  • 117 on-the-spot fines totalling €13,453, 46 administrative proceedings and 2 stalls closed.

The most common shortcomings: missing 48-hour samples, general hygiene on the premises, missing information on azo dyes and allergens, incorrect storage, missing production records and staff without a health certificate. We were unable to open the primary ÚVZ SR report while preparing this article, so the figures are given as reported in the press.

Did you know?

The Slovak and Czech figures are not directly comparable. The authorities use different methods for selecting outlets, different indicators and different periods.

What this means for you

  • Choose shops that are visibly clean, with covered tubs and allergen information.
  • Ice cream that is misshapen, frosted or clearly thawed has no place on sale – SZPI recommends not buying it.
  • At home the same principles apply as in a shop: pasteurisation, rapid cooling, a clean machine and never putting leftovers back.

Sources

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