ALL eggs sold in Cyprus will need to have a certification stamp on their shell for reasons of traceability to come into line with EU directives of food safety.
Kyriacos Charalambous from the poultry sector of the Agriculture Department yesterday told the Cyprus Mail that three changes would be made to the law regarding the sale and distribution of eggs in Cyprus.
Charalambous stressed these changes had to be made, as they were EU directives.
“First, all C class eggs were abolished on January 1, 2004. B class eggs (eggs that are over 20 days old and can be refrigerated for up to six months) will no longer be permitted to be sold in supermarkets,” said Charalambous. “They will only be sold in the food industry where they must be pasteurised.”
All A class eggs (fresh eggs) sold in supermarkets must have certification stamps on their outer shells. “This will be done for traceability. For example, if someone contracts salmonella the poultry sector of the Agriculture Department will be able to trace back where the egg was made and sold from the code stamp and close the poultry farm down,” said Charalambous.
The code stamp on each egg will consist of seven digits and letters that will determine how the eggs are produced and whether they are free range or produced in battery farms. The stamp will also contain the letters CY to show they are produced in Cyprus and a specific code to show which poultry farm they come from.
“The last change will be that supermarkets will only receive eggs in closed boxes that are labeled. The boxes will have certified stamps on from the poultry farm where the eggs were produced and packed,” said Charalambous.
There must also be proof of how fresh the eggs are as each box ordered by the supermarkets must come with documents attached, such as invoices, receipts and transportation papers.
Orders have been given to inspectors from the Agriculture Ministry to conduct monitored checks on poultry farms, supermarkets, bakeries and other places where eggs are sold to ensure the new law is implemented and followed. If the new changes are not put into effect, those violating the laws will be reported and punished accordingly, said Charalambous.
The president of the Consumers’ Association, Petros Markou, said it had always been the association’s standing position that the law on eggs be changed to protect consumers. He also told the Cyprus Mail that changes would be made within other industries.
“We expect that other developments will take place and changes will be made in other food and consumer industries in order to meet with EU directives and to protect consumers,” said Markou.
He added that eggs were only one such example. “The law had to be amended regarding eggs as this is the acquis,” said Markou.
