THE PUBLIC Health Services yesterday confirmed it was looking into information hundreds of boxes of expired dairy products – some of which were nearly a year out of date – had been dumped at the Kotsiatis garbage site in the Nicosia district.
Following a tip off on Monday afternoon that a large scale dump was underway a group of Green party parliamentary candidates went down to the site where they found hundreds of boxes of frozen ice cream that had exceeded their sell-by date. After removing samples of the products from the scene, the Greens reported the incident to police who in turn informed the health services.
Police said Pera Chorio Nisou police officers were dispatched to the scene and found expired ice cream and yoghurt.
The various ice cream brands were printed with expiry dates ranging from 01/04/05 and 01/12/05.
Public Health Services acting head George Giorgallas told the Cyprus Mail they investigating the information and the businessman (who owns the dumped products).
Giorgallas would not confirm whether the ice creams found belonged to the same importer who was responsible for a large quantity of outdated ice cream found in Larnaca and Limassol at the weekend.
“The matter is under investigation at this time,” he said.
But Giorgallas pointed out that according to the law the Health Services were only responsible for the production, storage, distribution and retail sale of foodstuffs.
“We do not deal with the disposal of such products at rubbish sites. That concerns the importers and it is their obligation to withdraw from the market and destroy expired products,” he said.
The senior public health officer also said it was not illegal for businesses to keep products which had exceeded their sell-by date as long as the items were clearly marked and kept in separate fridges from other foodstuffs. Businesses also had to inform the health services.
“Last year we had 57 applications to destroy foodstuffs. (And) some importers keep the products until they receive a tax return or compensation from suppliers,” he said.
On Saturday night the Health Service inspectors located 185 kilos of expired ice cream on dairy importer Demetris Demetriou’s premises. A further 4,612 kilos was found and confiscated at a Limassol company, Milanese.
According to Giorgallas in the latter incident, Demetriou had rented fridge space from Milanese and stored his ice creams there. The Limassol company was not only culpable for allowing the storage of expired goods but was also in violation of storing its own expired ice cream, which were uncovered during the search, he said.
The ice creams were imported from England and produced on site. Demetriou and the Milanese establishment have both been reported to the Health Services legal department and will be prosecuted, he said.
‘Name and shame’ plan gets green light
THE COMMISSIONER for the Protection of Personal Data yesterday paved the way to allow the publication of the names of businesses and products involved in food scandals.
According to CyBC, Commissioner Voula Frangou has examined the issue and in her expert opinion the publication of the names of businesses and well known importers in cases involving the find of food unsuitable for consumption did not constitute the disclosure of personal data.
This was because the matter concerned trade names and not ordinary people, her announcement said. Nevertheless even if the information involved personal data its public disclosure was still possible according to the law, it said.
The Attorney-general’s office is currently examining the possibility of allowing health services to name companies and importers which have violated public health protocols but have not endangered the lives of consumers.
At present the name of a product or establishment is only made public if public health has been endangered such as if the foodstuff is infected or poisonous and cause harm.
Greens call for stricter measures
THE GREEN Party yesterday called for strict implementation of European legislation on food hygiene as well as the creation of an effective control mechanism to protect consumers.
The appeal follows a series of recent discoveries of expired products at food companies, some of which made there way on to the market.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference yesterday, Green party spokeswoman Ioanna Papaioannou said the party was proposing the appointment of a Consumer Commissioner who would be responsible for food safety. The Commissioner would act, among other things, as a coordinator and undertake actions to protect the public as well as increase the number of officials at the Labour Ministry’s consumer protection service.
She said the party also proposed concealing information from public officials, services or politicians on matters of food health or safety should be made a criminal offense.
Importers and food distributors who concealed information from state officials or services should also face criminal charges and penalties should increase to imprisonment and/or closing businesses and shops for systematic lawbreakers, said Papaioannou
Meanwhile Green representative Athos Agapiou said it was the party’s belief businesses were speedily trying to get rid of any inappropriate goods after Health Services had discovered nearly five tonnes of expired ice cream.
“We believe the government and Health Ministry need to take serious measures to clamp down on this phenomenon because as we were leaving (Kotsiatis) last night, we could see more trucks coming and unloading various goods.”
Because of the dark they were unable to determine what goods were being dumped or the trucks’ company name.
“This may be an ongoing phenomenon and the government, police and health services need to look at the matter more seriously,” he added.
