The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment states in a statement that in view of the Christmas holidays, controls carried out at all stages of the agri-food chain are being intensified, both in the retail and wholesale markets.
The aim of the controls is to ensure the health safety and quality of food, as well as to provide consumers with correct and complete information through the required labeling.
More specifically, the Department of Agriculture has already carried out intensive inspections at various points of retail and wholesale of fresh fruit and vegetables. The inspections are universal on products imported from third countries, while for products arriving from EU countries, inspections are carried out on a sample basis.
Additionally, the competent Department implements a strict control program throughout the year to confirm compliance with the requirements of the Regulations governing the agri-food chain, which is reinforced during periods of increased consumption, such as Easter and Christmas.
The controls aim to protect local products and producers, but also to ensure the quality of traded products, so that consumers purchase fresh products that comply with the requirements of marketing standards.
Particular emphasis is placed on the control of informational labeling and country of origin, as the indication of the country of origin of agricultural products in the retail market is mandatory. It is also checked whether the products meet the necessary specifications and whether the variety and quality category of specific products are indicated, where required.
In addition, checks for any detection of residues of agricultural products continue during the Christmas period, with the Department of Agriculture carrying out sampling and analysis to detect hazardous substances.
At the same time, the Veterinary Services, in addition to routine inspections, are increasing the frequency and number of inspections throughout the production and distribution chain of meat and food of animal origin. The inspections are carried out mainly in butcher shops, cutting plants and red and white meat slaughterhouses.
The goal in this sector is to ensure that food business managers continue, despite the increased workload of the period, to seamlessly implement the provisions of the food safety systems, so that livestock products that are sanitary and veterinary safe and of quality suitable for consumption are placed on the market now during the Christmas period.
The competent services urge consumers to organize their purchases in a timely manner, avoiding waste and unnecessary food disposal.
Particular attention is recommended for packaged foods and in particular, careful reading of the information marking (label) regarding the correct method and process of preserving foods (refrigeration, freezing or keeping outside the refrigerator), the origin of the meat, the expiration date and the nutritional characteristics of the products.
With regard to carcasses, each carcass must definitely have the oval seal of suitability of the Veterinary Services with the code number of the slaughterhouse in which the animal was slaughtered.
Finally, consumers are urged, when preparing the Christmas table, to adhere to basic food hygiene and safety rules, to avoid using the same equipment when handling cooked and raw foods, to store foods at appropriate temperature conditions and to ensure proper cooking.
As part of the monitoring of the inspections carried out during the festive season, tomorrow, December 23, the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Dr. Maria Panayiotou, will conduct a regular tour of supermarkets. This year, the tour will take place in supermarkets in the Famagusta district.
