Cyprus’ Health Services are calling for stricter hygiene checks on food transported by delivery‑platform couriers, citing a rise in complaints over dirty or poorly maintained transport boxes.
In a letter to the Employers and Industrialists Federation and the Chamber of Commerce, officials said the rapid growth of platforms such as Foody and Wolt over the past six to seven years means most restaurants and food retailers now rely on them. But the riders are self‑employed partners — many of them foreign nationals without permanent status — creating legal obstacles to registering or inspecting them as food‑handling businesses.
Complaints describe delivery boxes as “very dirty,” with accumulated food residue, and in many cases torn, unable to close properly or in generally poor condition.
The ministry said restaurants and platforms must step up checks and ensure required standards are met, stressing that safe food transport is a shared responsibility, not solely that of regulators.