Greece: food inspections

In Greece the app follows the Ministry of Health ordinance Υ.Δ. 47829/2017 and the EFET hygiene guides; EFET and the regional public health services inspect, and there is no public rating.

Inspection body

Hellenic Food Authority (Ενιαίος Φορέας Ελέγχου Τροφίμων, EFET)

EFET, the Hellenic Food Authority (Ενιαίος Φορέας Ελέγχου Τροφίμων), works under the Ministry of Rural Development and Food. It checks raw materials, food preparation, premises, equipment, staff hygiene and the HACCP-based system. The regional public health services (υγειονομικές υπηρεσίες) also inspect restaurants under the Ministry of Health ordinance. The municipality (Δήμος) takes the notification to open a food business.

Inspections are risk-based: high-risk businesses come first. They can be unannounced or follow a complaint. The inspector suggests improvements and sets a date for a re-check. A risk to health or repeated non-compliance brings sanctions. The municipality closes a business on the health service’s proposal, and EFET’s Board ratifies EFET fines.

Hygiene rating

Greece has no public hygiene rating, score or sticker, and nothing has to be shown at the door. EFET publishes yearly statistics of its controls, not results for single restaurants.