MapTheFood does not require registration and does not directly collect personal data through forms, profiling cookies, or its own behavioural-analytics tools. The map runs in the visitor's browser, and MapTheFood does not operate any system of its own designed to log interactions with the map. Loading resources provided by third-party services does, however, involve the transmission of the technical data listed below, including the IP address. The standard technical logs generated by the hosting infrastructure, according to its own configuration, may also apply.
MapTheFood relies on three external services for the page's technical operation. Essential information on each is set out below.
| Service | Purpose | Data transmitted | Privacy policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Fonts | Loading of typefaces (Inter, Playfair Display, JetBrains Mono) | Visitor's IP address at page load, following standard HTTP request practice | policies.google.com/privacy |
| Leaflet / OpenStreetMap | Rendering of the interactive map and map tiles | IP address and coordinates of the displayed map view, via HTTP requests to OpenStreetMap tile servers | wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Privacy_Policy |
| Nominatim (OpenStreetMap) | Geocoding of the municipality entered in the search bar | Search text, only when the user uses the search function. No automatic call on page load. | nominatim.org · OSM Privacy Policy |
The map data shown on the map (plants, livestock farms, CAP payments) are static files loaded from the same origin as MapTheFood: no API call is made to external databases while browsing the map.
The datasets used by MapTheFood (E-PRTR/IED, BDN, ISTAT, AGEA) concern industrial plants, livestock farms, livestock numbers and agricultural payments. The names of E-PRTR plants and economic operators appear in the form in which they are reported in the official public registers, in application of the transparency obligations set out in European legislation. In some cases, the names of plants or farming businesses may coincide with the names of individuals (sole proprietorships).
MapTheFood does not publish, add, or cross-reference: CUAA (the Italian farm's unique fiscal code), tax codes, individual VAT numbers, addresses, phone numbers, emails, or any other personal identifier beyond what is already present and publicly available in the official registers cited. BDN, ISTAT and AGEA data published by the site is territorially aggregated by municipality and, where applicable, further summed by province or region: no individual name and no identifier for a single business or farm. The CAP–NH₃ overlay does not associate AGEA beneficiaries with IED plants.
Some facility pages include a direct link to inspection reports or authorisation measures published by the competent supervisory authority (ARPA/ARPAE) in its own official registers. These documents, drafted and published by the body responsible for the relevant procedure, may contain the names of individuals (company representatives, inspection staff). MapTheFood does not download, copy, or re-host these documents on its own systems: it only provides a link to the official page already made public by the competent authority under environmental transparency obligations.
The access and reuse conditions specific to each dataset, with the source and any limits indicated, are set out on the Open data page.
For requests relating to the protection of personal data, including a request to remove a link to an official document you believe affects your rights: privacy@mapthefood.org. To report data errors, request information on sources, or for any other communication regarding MapTheFood's content: info@mapthefood.org.
Requests relating to personal data protection are assessed case by case; where well-founded, the reported reference is removed within a reasonable time. MapTheFood also receives reports concerning errors, sources and published content. Reports concerning possible irregularities at plants or businesses should be addressed to the competent authorities, including ARPA (Regional Environmental Protection Agencies), NAS (the Carabinieri health and food-safety unit), ICQRF (the Central Inspectorate for quality protection and fraud repression) and the Labour Inspectorate.