Ministerial Circular no. 1497 of 2026. Provision of clarifications regarding the obligation or non-obligation of food business operators to train their staff, implementing the EFET programs, in the context of the implementation of the Ministerial Decision 110581/2025 (Government Gazette 2161/issue B' /06-05-2025) and the circular no. 7151/23-06-2026.

This Ministerial Circular provides clarifications to all those involved in the mandatory training of food business personnel, regarding the obligation or non-obligation of food business managers to train their personnel, in accordance with the provisions of the HACCP system and the programmes of the Hellenic Food Safety Authority. The Circular concerns: food businesses that are not required to fully develop a HACCP system, but follows its procedures for food handling; implementing permanent procedures based on the seven basic HACCP principles, ensuring safety, risk control and documentation; classification of food business based on the following risk categories: nature of the processes carried out, type of food produced, managed or disposed, the way the food is used by the consumer, size of the food business, population that receives the food. The type of businesses covered by this Circular are: groceries, milk, confectionery and bread shops, businesses selling frozen foods, health food stores, coffee and beverage stations, repackaging companies of legumes and other plant-based products, school canteens and other canteens.