HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, the method by which anyone working with food analyses risks and sets the points to check: temperatures, timings, cleaning, keeping products apart. The caterer must apply a self-monitoring plan (in Italian, piano di autocontrollo) based on these principles, as EC Regulation 852/2004 requires.
For you it turns into concrete questions: how hot and cold dishes are transported, how long they stay out of the fridge, how raw food, desserts with custard and dishes for guests with allergies are handled. Outdoors and at large events hygiene rules are not suspended, and the cold chain becomes even more important.
What to ask
The HACCP plan does not need to be attached to the contract, but you can ask for confirmation that it exists, along with the caterer's health registration and the allergen matrix. The guide on how to choose a caterer lists the checks to make.
