Defence ministry: food complaints are ‘isolated cases’

The defence ministry has described ready-made army meals found at temperatures below food safety requirements as an “isolated case”, as it responded to a series of findings by the Audit Office over the feeding of National Guard soldiers. In responses to the Cyprus Mail, defence ministry spokesman Sofianos Filippedes also said discrepancies in the number of meals ordered were being checked, while soldiers’ views on the quality of food and special dietary requirements would be taken into account as part of an ongoing review of the system. The Audit Office report, published on Wednesday, examined whether food provided to soldiers was adequate and safe and whether public funds were being used efficiently. More than €9.5 million was spent on National Guard feeding in 2025. Its findings were based on inspections as well as a questionnaire completed by 1,106 soldiers. One of the more serious findings concerned the temperature of ready-made meals delivered to soldiers. During an unannounced inspection in January, delivery records showed hot food had been received at 65°C while the Audit Office noted that the temperatures it recorded fell within the 5°C to 58°C “danger zone”, in which microorganisms can multiply rapidly. When asked how the ministry explained the findings and what had been done to ensure soldiers were not being placed at risk, Filippedes said compliance with the required temperatures was both a contractual and health obligation. “The specific finding is assessed as an isolated case and does not constitute the norm,” he said. He added that the findings were being evaluated through the established food safety control procedures and that the ministry, together with the competent authorities, continued to monitor compliance, with particular emphasis on the Food Safety Management System and HACCP principles. The report also raised questions over the quantities of food being ordered and the resulting waste. When asked how the discrepancies had arisen, who was responsible for checking orders and what was being done to reduce waste of public money, Filippedes said they were being examined by the competent authorities. Sample checks are already carried out as part of the monthly accounting inspection of units, he said, comparing the number of meals ordered with the personnel entitled to receive them. “At the same time, with the implementation of the new computerised food supply system, the ability to monitor the relevant data is being strengthened,” he said. The quality and design of the menu was another area highlighted by the Audit Office. The survey found that 73 per cent of soldiers avoided certain foods, while 69 per cent said they sometimes or daily resorted to buying products from their unit canteen rather than eating the food provided. Another 41 per cent said they sometimes or daily ate food brought in from outside the camp, which is normally prohibited. When asked whether the figures pointed to a problem with the quality and design of the meals, Filippedes said the questionnaire results were being taken into consideration as part of the continuous evaluation of soldiers’ feeding. “The programme and recipes are evaluated by the competent authorities and the scientific team being established at the defence ministry, taking into account nutritional requirements, the principles of the Mediterranean diet, safety and acceptance of meals,” he said. Issues concerning special dietary requirements were also being examined, he added. The ministry was also asked about soldiers who reported health problems which they themselves associated with the food. Around one in four respondents reported mild health problems, mainly gastrointestinal, which they attributed to their meals. The Audit Office did not establish that the food had caused the reported problems. Filippedes stressed that these reports emerged from responses to the Audit Office questionnaire rather than through the National Guard’s normal complaints or reporting procedures. “The specific reports were not registered or submitted through the usual service procedure for submitting complaints or reports, through which the prescribed investigation procedure is followed and the corresponding information and evidence are available for the assessment of each incident,” he said. “As a result, the questionnaire data are evaluated within this specific context and cannot in themselves be considered confirmed incidents causally linked to feeding.”