Cyprus Health Ministry Demands Foody and Wolt Tighten Courier Hygiene Controls

Sanitary services of the Cyprus Ministry of Health are alarmed by the conditions in which food is transported through delivery services. In an official letter to the OEB and the CCCI, the ministry called on restaurants, cafés and the Foody and Wolt platforms to step up inspections, ensure that delivery boxes are kept clean and strictly comply with food safety standards. The move was prompted by a noticeable increase in the number of consumer complaints.

The main source of complaints is the condition of the boxes attached to the rear of motorcycles and mopeds. Customers report dirty containers with leftovers from previous deliveries, which are often worn out, torn or do not close properly. In addition, there have been cases where couriers store personal belongings in the boxes, including clothes and shoes, together with orders, while during off-hours they leave the equipment unattended and unprotected from rodents and insects.

Control in this area is greatly complicated, as over the past 6–7 years online platforms have grown rapidly, but couriers are not their employees and work as self-employed partners. Most of them are foreigners without permanent residence status in Cyprus, which creates legal difficulties with their registration and makes inspections harder to carry out. Nevertheless, sanitary services stress that transport safety is a collective responsibility of platform operators and food producers, who risk their own reputation with customers.

As protective measures, restaurant managers are advised to regularly inspect the boxes and monitor the couriers' basic hygiene when handing over an order, promptly informing the platforms about violations. In cases of serious deviations from the standards, establishments are advised to refuse to hand over the food and request a replacement courier. Other useful practices mentioned include quickly cleaning the box before loading and giving couriers the opportunity to wash their hands on site.