Advice to consumers are provided by the Single Food Control Agency (EFET) in view of Easter.

As EFET points out, it is important for consumers to prioritize food safety to minimize the risk of foodogenic diseases and the waste of food.

In general, as consumers, we always have in mind to:

  • We only supply food from officially, so controlled points of sale. ➢ We look at the packaging indications in pre -packaged foods. Our label provides useful information, such as the date of minimum preservation of the product, the right storage conditions, the nutritional data.
  • We pay attention to the cleanliness of the equipment and space of the store we choose to buy food.
  • When buying meat, we check that it is mounted in refrigerators or on cooled operating showcases. When selecting frozen meats, we must consider the freezing date and the date of consumption of the product (eg indication: “REFERENCE TO”, “REFERENCE PRIME BEFORE”)
  • We place in different bags the foods we buy raw and need cooking (eg meat, meat preparations), from those ready to be consumed (eg salads), to avoid possible cross -microbial contamination. We are recently buying products that need cooling or freezing to place them in the fridge of our home as soon as possible.
  • We take care of the proper storage of foods in the cabinets, refrigerator or freezer to keep them in the best possible condition until we use them.
  • We watch the temperatures! We make sure to place the vulnerable foods in the refrigerator as soon as possible (for example meat, milk, cheese) after purchase. We check that our refrigerator is working properly. Keep cooked food warm (over 60 ° C) before serving. We do not leave the cooked food at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
  • We prepare meat for cooking by following the good practices for food hygiene to avoid cooked meat contaminations with raw foods and to take care of the cleanliness of the surfaces.
  • If we intend to carry out a table, we do not forget to ask those present if they suffer from a food allergy so that we can pay attention to the ingredients we use or warn them not to eat any of the food. If one feels unwell or develops an allergic reaction after eating a food, they should seek medical help immediately. The allergens, recognized by Annex II of Regulation 1169/2011, must be clearly listed in pre -packaged foods.

Practical tips now specifically for foods that we often consume during Easter.

For the purchase of lambs, goats – the so -called lambs:

If we buy a whole carcass or a semi -carcass of a carcass, we are sure to have an egg -shaped stamp, which shows that the required crest control has been done.
Specifically, there are three categories of compulsory stamps:

  • The carcasses that have been slaughtered in our country and raised in Greece or in a Member State of the EU. They have a “brilliant blue” color stamp, that is, turquoise, at the center of which the Veterinary Approval Number of Veterinary Approval of the Slaughterhouse and peripherally the original GRs and EU distincts.
  • The carcasses that have been slaughtered in other EU Member States. And they are moving to our country, they have a stamp of suitability with the color of each EU Member State. and the characteristics (code number of slaughterhouse, country and discreetly carcasses that have been slaughtered in third countries and imported into our country, have a brown color stamp and the elements of the country of origin.

It is noted that especially carcasses born, raised and slaughtered in Greece, that is, they have a country of origin in Greece, bearing an additional seal with the mark “HELLAS”, which is in the shape of a rectangular rectangle with the “HELLAS” in capital letters and “brilliant”.

For viscera and meat:

  • Be careful that they are under cooling in protected areas (eg cooled showcases). When selecting frozen viscera, we must consider the freezing date and the date of consumption of the product (eg indication: “REFERENCE TO”, “REFERENCE PRIMARY BEFORE”).

For eggs:

  • Painted eggs and sting them are intertwined with Easter, and we use them very much as raw materials for sweets and other dishes. The proper handling of our eggs protects us from salmonella infection, a bacterium that causes food -soaked diseases. You can find out more about salmonella here.
  • We look at the predicted indications in egg packaging, such as the quality, weight, and the date of minimum preservation.
  • We do not wash the eggs before storing them.
  • For good maintenance, keep the fresh eggs in a cool place or in the refrigerator.
  • Store boiled eggs in the refrigerator within 2 hours of their preparation and consume them no later than a week.
  • We do not forget to place them in a separate place from fresh
  • For egg dyeing we only buy specific dyes and carefully follow the instructions on the packaging. We only paint the eggs that have not been broken during boiling.

If we find in the market for degraded, inappropriate, altered foods or deal with deception or misleading effects, there is always a five -digit telephone number 11717 for complaints and the EFET website, where we can make electronic reports to the special form.