The Consumer Protection Authority inspected beach buffets, festivals and ice cream parlors

The aim of the inspections was to protect consumers and ensure that catering establishments serve guests under appropriate hygiene conditions during the summer months.

The most common deficiencies revealed during the inspections were hygiene irregularities, which occurred in 15 percent of the inspected units. The inspectors detected contaminated work surfaces, heavily contaminated refrigeration equipment, insufficient cleaning, deficiencies in hand washing facilities and inadequate conditions for dishwashing.

Consumers were not adequately informed everywhere, more than 8 percent of the inspected units lacked information on allergens, and some ice cream parlors did not display the mandatory warning for artificial colors.

In addition, the units employed workers who did not have a valid health certificate, the announcement reveals.

The inspectors found serious hygiene problems in several counties, for example, in a cafeteria they found rodent droppings and a mouse carcass, which led to an immediate closure order with the involvement of the police and the local government, and the food stored there was immediately withdrawn from circulation.

During inspections at festivals, there were units where tens of kilograms of spoiled or unmarked products had to be seized, but there were also events where the authority experienced exemplary cleanliness, tidiness and full compliance with the law.