The Environmental Health Directorate within the Public Health Regulation Department has released it’s latest report on enforcement actions and other activities undertaken by its Health Inspectorate Services in August 2010.The Environmental Health Directorate within the Public Health Regulation Department has released it’s latest report on enforcement actions and other activities undertaken by its Health Inspectorate Services in August 2010.
Improvement Notices Issued to Food Business Operators
During August, 439 improvement notices in terms of article 33 of the Food Safety Act have been issued to food business operators.
This notice is sent to all food business operators following an unannounced inspection by Environmental Health Officers within their establishment. The intention of this notice is to inform food operators about deficiencies noted in their establishments and the operator is given a specific date in order to remedy these deficiencies. Whilst the scale of deficiencies might vary, legal action is initiated when major deficiencies are noted.
Undertakings with Food Business Operators
During the same month, nine undertakings were entered into with operators. The main reasons were structural deficiencies in food premises, for not implementing a food safety management system such as Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system, improperly labelled food, and failure to adopt food hygiene training.
Undertakings are legal agreements between the food business operators and the Health Authority specifying deadlines by which deficiencies in their premises should be remedied or to re-label products in compliance with standing legislation. Failure to abide with the agreed deadlines results in Court proceedings being initiated.
Destruction of Food
In August, over 48 tonnes of food and drinks were destroyed by the Health Inspectorate as follows:
25,920kg of melons and watermelons which were imported into Malta but were not of the quality demanded by the purchaser;
21,000kg of energy drinks which were voluntary surrendered following seizure order issued by the Health Inspectorate;
1,267kg of jams and aromas and 2.27kg of pop corn with lapsed durability dates;
200kg of sausages following court order;
52kg of burgers for failing to provide traceability and labelling issues;
6.8kg of perishable foodstuffs such as sandwiches which were being kept at inappropriate temperatures;
3.5kg of poultry which were not packed in authorised premises.
Legionella Audits
Five audits at Hotels, and other similar premises to ascertain compliance with Control of Legionella Regulations, 2006 (L.N. 5 of 2006) and the Registration of Cooling Towers and Evaporative Condensers Regulations, 2006 (L.N. 6 of 2006) were performed by the Health Inspectorate.
Food Consignments
Sixty-eight consignments of food imported into Malta were also inspected by Environmental Health officers attached with the Port Health Services within this Directorate.
Ship Sanitation Certificates
During August, nineteen Ship Sanitation Certificates were issued by the Port Health Services. Such inspections are carried out in terms of the International Health Regulations of 2005 and involve the assessment of the general hygienic conditions and control measures undertaken on ships. Such certificate needs to be renewed every 6 months at an authorised port.
Applications and Consultations
During August another unit within the Environmental Health Directorate, the Food Safety Unit, received 48 requests to process applications to operate a food business. Prospective operators who wish to open a food business are obliged to apply for a building permit with the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) and then apply for the actual licence with the competent authority for example the Trade Licensing Unit or Malta Tourism Authority. At every stage, this Directorate is consulted in order to verify suitability of proposed premises.
During the same month, Environmental Health Officers deployed within this unit processed one consultation to food businesses and carried out a total of 71 visits.
Contraventions
Food related contraventions
Seven contraventions were issued to food business operators; two for keeping dairy products without proper temperature control, one for authenticity on honey, one for tampering with products sealed by the Health Authority, one for keeping an illegal abattoir and risk of contamination, another for keeping a food premises in unhygienic conditions and exposing food to risk of contamination and another one for failing to provide traceability documentation, obstruction of authorised officers and risk of contamination.
Other Environmental Health related contraventions
During August, another seven contraventions were issued by the Health Inspectorate in relation to other environmental health issues, as follows: two contraventions were issued against individuals for keeping a cesspit without the necessary permits from the Superintendent of Public Health, another two for keeping their houses dirty, one for keeping an accumulation of refuse, one for not removing a stoppage in drains and another one for keeping drains in a bad state of repair and causing an infiltration of water into third party property.
Emergency Control and Prohibition Orders
During August, three emergency control orders were issued; one for illegal processing and packing of meat and meat products, another for illegally producing cheeselets and similar products and another for storing bakery goods in unhygienic conditions.
No prohibition orders were issued during the past month.
Recalls
During August, one food product was withdrawn from the market in view of undeclared allergen. Press release 1424 was issued in this respect.
Food is recalled when there is a direct or indirect risk to human health due to the presence of foreign objects, pathogenic and potentially pathogenic organisms, adulteration of food, unauthorised GMOs, undeclared allergens, etc.
Samples
In the month of August, 744 samples were elevated by the Health Inspectorate and submitted to the Public Health Laboratory for analysis and/or examination for several parameters;
177 food samples,
31 potable water samples,
364 sea water samples, and
172 miscellaneous samples.
Bathing Water Monitoring Programme
As stated above, during the month of August 364 samples of sea water were collected and submitted to the Public Health Laboratory to be analysed for microbiological parameters as stipulated by EU Directive 2006/7/EC. The bathing water monitoring programme is carried out in accordance with the provisions of said EU Directive. The official bathing season started on the 17th May 2010 and will last till the 24th October 2010. Sampling is carried out from 87 official bathing sites throughout the Maltese islands.
Up to the 14th week of the monitoring programme the 87 sites have been classified as follows: 83 sites as Excellent Quality, 4 sites as Good Quality. None of the sites have fallen within the Sufficient Quality or Poor Quality group. During the month of August however, two health warnings were issued regarding bathing at Xlendi Bay, Gozo and Area between Fra Ben and Qawra Palace Hotel. Both warnings have been withdrawn within days.
Complaints
In the same month, 717 complaints were lodged with the Health Inspectorate. These were categorized as follows:
Food related complaints
Ninety-four of these complaints were related to food. The most common type of food complaints concerned unhygienic premises (25 complaints), fitness of food (16 complaints), alleged risk of contamination (12 complaints), improper labelling of food (11 complaints) and improper storage of food (9 complaints).
Other Environmental Health related complaints
Another six hundred and twenty three complaints were environmental health related. Once again, the most common type concerned presence of pests (171 complaints), infiltrations (110 complaints), accumulations of refuse (77 complaints), discharge of foul water (44 complaints), keeping of animals in unhygienic conditions (43 complaints), and thirty six complaints regarding foul smells.
The Environmental Health Directorate can be contacted between 07:00am and 3:00pm on telephone number 21337333, by calling personally at its offices at 37-39, Rue D’Argens, Msida or by email to complaints.ph@gov.mt .
For further information, the public is also encouraged to visit the Directorate’s website at:
Related stories:
« Next: All time MIA monthly record for passengers & seat capacity | Previous: Munxar has first playground to conform to new standards »