Staffing Food Production in Ukraine: Filling Shifts and Passing Medical Checks

Why food producers feel the shortage most

Meat, dairy, bakery, confectionery and vegetable processing plants run in shifts, often around the clock, and cannot stop a line for lack of people: raw materials spoil and supply contracts with retail chains have tight delivery dates. At the same time the work is hard — cold rooms, humidity, repetitive operations, night shifts. As a result, turnover in the food industry is high and every vacancy takes longer to fill than anyone would like.

Seasonality adds to the pressure. Volumes rise in confectionery and meat plants before holidays and in fruit and vegetable processing over the summer. We covered how to plan for these peaks in staffing a production line without downtime and seasonal hiring in agriculture.

Medical checks: a new procedure since November 2025

The main difference between a food plant and, say, a warehouse is that a worker cannot start on the line without medical clearance. Order No. 1393 of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine of 08.09.2025 approved a new Procedure for mandatory medical examinations of certain categories of workers. According to industry publications, it has applied since 18 November 2025, and the previous procedure (Health Ministry Order No. 246 of 2007) is no longer in force.

What employers need to know:

• The employer pays. Pre-employment and periodic medical checks are organised and paid for by the employer — a requirement of Article 17 of the Law on Labour Protection and Article 169 of the Labour Code.
• Personal health record book. According to the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, workers who handle food undergo preventive checks, and the book is issued only when there are no contraindications and mandatory vaccinations are done. Bacteriological tests for people producing and selling food remain in place.
• Lead time. The medical check adds several days between "the candidate said yes" and "the worker is on shift". Build that into the hiring plan, especially before a seasonal peak.

The list of tests and their frequency depend on the job and working conditions, so agree the final list with the clinic that carries out the checks.

Hygiene and food safety

Food business operators in Ukraine must run permanent procedures based on HACCP principles. For staff this means:

• hygiene training before the first shift, not "on the go";
• clear rules on workwear, gloves, hair covers, jewellery and phones in the production area;
• health monitoring and a procedure for removing anyone with signs of illness from work;
• instructions in a language the worker actually understands — critical for foreign staff.

A single newcomer's hygiene lapse can cost a plant a whole batch or a complaint from a retail chain, so onboarding in food production should not be cut short. See our 90-day onboarding plan.

The positions most often in demand

• meat boners and trimmers, butchers;
• packers and order pickers;
• line operators and machine operators;
• loaders in raw-material and finished-goods warehouses;
• production-area cleaners and container washers.

Some roles only need basic on-site training; others (boner, line operator) need experience, which is worth checking before hiring through a practical task or a video interview.

Foreign workers in food production

Food processing is one of the industries where foreign workers from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Central Asia help meet a steady demand for labour. On top of the work permit and residence permit, there are industry specifics:

• the medical check and health record book are done in Ukraine, so plan this step for after arrival;
• dietary habits and religious restrictions (for example, handling pork) should be discussed with the candidate before hiring — this is about respect and retention, not a formality;
• hygiene and safety briefings must be translated.

The general hiring procedure is described in how to hire a foreign worker legally.

Filling shifts fast: practical steps

1. Work out the need by shift and position for the next 3–6 months, including the seasonal peak.
2. Split the roles into "we can train on site" and "experience required".
3. Agree medical checks for groups of newcomers with a clinic in advance.
4. Prepare housing if you are bringing people from other regions or countries.
5. Pick a model: in-house hiring, mass recruitment, or outsourcing to a contractor who handles administration.

How ASHA Ukraine organises it

We recruit workers for food plants — from Ukraine and from abroad — and organise their medical checks, accommodation and support during the first weeks. If you want the contractor to handle HR administration, there is manufacturing staff outsourcing; for a one-off intake of a large group, mass recruitment. Terms and timing are agreed for your plant and roster.

Sources: Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No. 1393 of 08.09.2025 on the procedure for mandatory medical examinations of certain categories of workers; guidance from the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection (dpss.gov.ua) on mandatory preventive medical checks; Law of Ukraine on Labour Protection, Article 17; Labour Code, Article 169; Law of Ukraine on Basic Principles and Requirements for Food Safety and Quality. Checked as of 23.10.2026; requirements may change.