Nas inspections in 558 hospital canteens: irregularities in 42.7% of cases

In the periodb>between 19 February and 22 March 2026, the Carabinieri for the Protection of Health (NAS) conducted an extraordinary campaign of inspections on hospital canteens and health catering services, aimed at verifying compliance with health and hygiene regulations and food safety within the facilities intended for patients. During the inspection activity, a total of 558 facilities throughout the country were inspected, of which 525 operating in the canteen sector and 31 directly related to the health sector.

The inspections revealed238 non-compliant facilities, or 42.7% of the total, confirming a significant level of criticality in the sector, with more than four out of ten facilities found to be non-compliant.

The main irregularities found concerned hygiene and sanitary deficiencies in food preparation and storage rooms, structural and maintenance criticalities, inadequate application of self-control procedures (HACCP), and irregularities in the handling and storage of food products, with particular attention to special diets for vulnerable people.

During the controls, numerous measures were taken, including immediate suspensions of activities in the presence of health risk situations, targeted bans on specific production lines, administrative sanctions, reports to the Judicial Authority and seizures of food unfit for consumption, as well as the imposition of corrective measures on operators.

Among the most significant interventions are in Taranto, the banning of the production of meals for coeliac patients due to the absence of dedicated spaces and equipment and for hygienic and structural deficiencies; in Naples and in Brescia, the immediate suspension of the activities of two hospital canteens, both due to serious hygienic conditions and insect infestation, with the imposition of administrative sanctions in Salerno, the detection of microbiological contamination (enterobacteria and coliforms) on trays intended for the distribution of meals, with consequent corrective measures; in Catania, the denunciation of the person in charge of preparing meals and the seizure of approximately 60 kg of foodstuffs in a poor state of preservation; in Parma, the detection of widespread hygiene and structural deficiencies in beverage storage areas.