Health authorities destroy over 6,000kg of food and register 757 complaints on health hazards

During July, 495 improvement notices were 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.

During July, twenty-five 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. Eighty-five consignments of food imported into Malta were also inspected by Environmental Health officers attached with the Port Health Services within this Directorate.

Sevenaudits at Hotels, and other similar premises to ascertain compliance with Legionella regulations and the registration of cooling towers and evaporative condensers rules.

Eleven contraventions were issued to food business operators; three for selling dairy products without proper temperature control, four for exposing food to risk of contamination,  two for authenticity on honey, one for having potable water from a source which is not approved by the Superintendent of Public Health, and one for structural deficiencies.

During July, four emergency control orders were issued; three of which were against owners/operators of boreholes supplying water intended for human consumption, whilst another control order was issued against an illegal food business operator.

One prohibition order under the Public Health Act was also issued during this month, and as a consequence a tattooist which was operating without a licence at Inseparable Tattoos & Artistic Creations, 18, Pjazza Vittorja, Naxxar was closed down by the Health Authority.

In the same month, 757 complaints were lodged with the Health Inspectorate. Eighty-five of these complaints were related to food.  The most common type of food complaints concerned unhygienic premises (25 complaints), fitness of food (16 complaints), improper storage of food (9 complaints), alleged risk of contamination (8 complaints), improper labelling of food (6 complaints) and personal malpractices (5 complaints).

Another six hundred and seventy two complaints were environmental health related. Once again, the most common type concerned presence of pests (175 complaints),

Infiltrations (113 complaints), accumulations of refuse (82 complaints), discharge of foul water (58 complaints), foul smells (54 complaints), keeping of animals in unhygienic conditions (44 complaints) and 25 complaints regarding drainage overflow.