Cyprus food safety under strain from drought, FMD outbreak and reliance on imports
Cyprus food safety officials say the island's food chain remains safe despite drought, foot and mouth disease and heavy dependence on imports, the Cyprus Mail reports.
Cyprus food safety is holding up despite a combination of drought, an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) and the island's heavy reliance on imports, according to the Cyprus Mail. The publication reports that the cumulative pressure of these factors has raised questions about how resilient and how safe the food supply really is.
Elisavet Constantinou, president of the Cyprus Food Safety Council (FSC) and acting permanent secretary of the health ministry, told the Cyprus Mail that food safety on the island is ensured through an integrated system of official controls, with clearly defined responsibilities assigned to the competent authorities. The FSC coordinates multiannual control plans, food crisis plans and the handling of food safety issues, carries out risk assessment and advises on risk management. Authorities involved include the public health services, the health ministry, the agriculture ministry and the veterinary services, though primary responsibility for food safety lies with the private sector.
Constantinou identified globalisation of trade, increased movement of food products and live animals, emerging hazards, climate change, antimicrobial resistance, food fraud and misleading labelling as the main challenges, adding that Cyprus faces additional burdens from high import dependence and high temperatures. She said continuous droughts have placed growing pressure on water resources, but stressed that no food safety incidents have so far been directly linked to water scarcity. The government recently announced €168 million in investments to tackle water shortages.
On FMD, Constantinou said the disease does not pose a risk to consumers as it is not considered foodborne. Around 80,000 animals have been culled since the first outbreak was reported in February. Costas Livadiotis, president of the butchers' association, echoed the reassurance, saying meat is safe even if an animal is infected, and that the outbreak has caused the loss of roughly 10 per cent of local meat production. He added that lower tourist numbers and imports such as pork steaks from Poland mean the local food chain faces no real threat.
Constantinou said consumers can have a high level of confidence in Cypriot food products, which are monitored and produced under EU food safety legislation based on scientific risk assessment and official controls. Controls cover the whole chain, from farms and slaughterhouses to food establishments, and include checks for pesticide residues, organic and inorganic contaminants and other chemical substances under EU Regulations (EU) 2022/1644 and (EU) 2022/1646.
What it means for residents
For people living in Cyprus, the practical takeaway is that everyday food safety is not currently in question, even as the island's farming sector absorbs the impact of drought and the FMD cull. The bigger effect is likely to be on prices and availability of local meat, and on the longer-term cost of keeping water and veterinary controls in place.
- Meat prices: With roughly a tenth of local meat production lost to the FMD cull, shoppers may see less local supply and more imported meat on shelves.
- Water costs: The €168 million water investment programme will ultimately be paid for through bills and public spending, so household water costs are worth watching.
- What to do: Keep buying Cypriot produce with confidence, but expect the mix of local and imported meat to shift in the coming months.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
