KEBAB shops, for so long shown leniency from food hygiene laws, will finally have to clean up their acts, after it was announced that they would need to go through tougher procedures to get a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point certificate (HACCP) from January 1, 2006.
The move has angered many shop owners, who fear that the increased cost of getting a licence, due to the need to buy new equipment, will drive them out of business.
HACCP is recognised as the most effective method of self-regulation in the food industry, adopted by the EU in 1993 and recommended by the World Health Organisation.
It prescribes a series of steps that businesses must undertake to control potential hazards, such as checking the quality of raw materials, avoiding bacterial contamination, controlling temperatures during storage and transport and applying appropriate anti-bacterial heat treatment.
The regulation of food production under HACCP has been effective under Cypriot law since April 2002.
George Georgallas of the Health Ministry told yesterday’s Politis newspaper that “smaller establishments have so far been shown leniency, but they will now be expected to fulfil the HACCP criteria in due time. Places that continue to operate illegally will be hunted and shut down.”
Under current law, there are two categories that need HACCP certification – hotels and restaurants (under which come kebab shops). Hotels need to fulfil all seven health and hygiene criteria for certification, while restaurants and kebab shops have only needed to fulfil five. A lot of small kebab shops have been operating illegally by not fulfilling their health and hygiene obligations.
Georgallas claims that, “the number of establishments currently in Cyprus that meet five of the seven HACCP requirements is small. A lot of work will be needed to ensure progress by 2006. This is a very large programme and particularly complicated. It will need a great deal of training by experts for it to work.”
From January 1 next year, all establishments will be required to fulfil all seven health and hygiene criteria.
The cost of implementation varies according to the requirements. Hotels pay an average of £200,000, with restaurants paying anything between £1,000 to £30,000, depending on their current state.
However, many smaller kebab shops seem to be in the dark over the proposed changes. When questioned, two shops in the capital’s Ledra Street came up with the same response: “We don’t know anything about this. Nobody has said anything to us.”
