A campaign of checks on the conditions of food transport by motorcycle distributors is planned by the Health Services in cooperation with the Police and the Municipalities, with the Head of the Services, Herodotos Herodotou, pointing out that wider cooperation of all those involved is required, as well as legislative changes for more effective supervision of the sector.
Mr. Herodotou said that the Health Services are looking at ways to strengthen controls on food transport conditions, as carrying out on-site checks on distributors during their work presents "practical difficulties".
For this reason, he said, cooperation with the Police is being promoted, in order to enable the realization of organized control campaigns and the more effective supervision of the sector.
According to Mr. Herodotou, the Health Services receive complaints that mainly concern the cleanliness of food transport boxes, however, there is no collected data that demonstrates a specific trend or increase in complaints.
"The point is to focus on the problem and how it will be solved. The next step is to call the Police and the Municipalities, so that we can bring them together and do a campaign," he said, noting that an effort is underway to contact the Police to organize coordinated controls.
Answering a question, he said that the complaints concern reports of transport boxes that may be used for other purposes, for storing personal belongings or keeping them in common areas of apartment buildings, facts that raise concerns about the observance of hygiene rules.
He clarified, however, that to date no incidents of food poisoning or other serious incidents have been detected linked to the conditions of food transport by distributors.
Cooperation with the Police is "key"
Asked about the checks carried out, the Head of the Health Services said that "no systematic checks are carried out" on the distributors during their work, as it is difficult for the Health Services to stop distributors on the street and proceed with on-site inspections.
"It will be much easier to carry out checks with the participation of the Police," he said, explaining that cooperation between the competent authorities could significantly enhance the effectiveness of the controls.
15,000 tests and thousands of sampling in 2025
He stressed, at the same time, that the absence of systematic controls in this sector should not be perceived as inaction of the Health Services, pointing out that in 2025 alone, about 15,000 official inspections were carried out in about 10,000 premises, as well as thousands of food and water sampling.
Referring to the difficulties of supervising distribution platforms, Mr. Herodotou noted that their operating model creates a "complex chain of responsibilities", as they themselves state that they provide interconnection services between businesses, consumers and carriers, while many distributors are self-employed or employed through third companies.
Asked whether the current legislative framework is sufficient for the effective supervision of platforms, he replied that changes in the legislation are needed.
"Legislative changes are needed," he said.
He added that a dialogue is underway with distribution platforms, businesses and the Federation of Employers and Industrialists (OEB), with the aim of all stakeholders assuming their responsibilities.
At the same time, he said that the issue of training and certification of food distributors is being examined, although, as he noted, the creation and maintenance of a comprehensive register of all distributors is a particularly difficult process.
In conclusion, Mr. Herodotou underlined that the work of the Health Services extends to a wide range of public health issues and that the officers work daily, often outside normal working hours, to protect public health.
He also mentioned the need for public health issues to be presented in their true dimensions, pointing out that sometimes announcements or letters are presented with exaggerated or misleading headlines, which can cause undue concern to citizens.
