The following is a summary of some activities undertaken by the Environmental Health Directorate during 2010 including a report issued by the Health Inspectorate Services for the month of December, 2010.

Improvement Notices Issued to Food Business Operators

385 improvement notices in terms of article 33 of the Food Safety Act have been issued to food business operators by the Health Inspectorate Services. During this year at least 5569 improvement notices were issued to food business operators with an average of 464 notices a month.

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 while the operator is given a specific deadline by which the deficiencies need to be remedied. Though the gravity of deficiencies might vary, legal action is initiated when major deficiencies are noted.

Undertakings with Food Business Operators

During December five undertakings were entered into with operators. Four concerned improperly labelled food and one with respect to deficiencies in food premises. During last year, 155 undertakings were entered into with food business operators.

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 December, over 6,975kg of different foodstuffs were destroyed by the Health Inspectorate, ranging from:

o 3,080kg of honey due to non compliance with quality parameters;

o 2,118kg of jams due to labelling irregularities; and

o 1,727kg of fish and seafood due to lapsed durability date

Throughout 2010, over 78 tonnes of illegal foodstuffs were destroyed under the supervision of the Health Inspectorate.

Legionella Audits and Pool Inspections

Nine 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 during last month. Throughout 2010, seventy-nine of such audits were performed by the Health Inspectorate.

During the same month, thirty six swimming pools were inspected by the Health Inspectorate to verify compliance with Swimming Pools Regulations, 2005 (L.N. 129 of 2005). This regulation specifies that all swimming pools with the exception of those situated at a single family residence need to register with this Directorate. A list of registered pools can be found in the Directorate’s website mentioned below. Throughout 2010, 165 pools were inspected in numerous Hotels and similar establishments.

Inspections of Schools

During December, two schools were inspected to ensure compliance with general hygiene requirements. However during 2010, 180 inspections were carried out in private, government or church owned schools and whether, primary, secondary, tertiary or language or special schools.

Food Consignments

Fifty-seven consignments of food imported into Malta were also inspected by Environmental Health officers attached with the Port Health Services within this Directorate in December. This brings the total of consignments checked by the mentioned officials during last year to 746.

Ship Sanitation Certificates

During December, twenty-two 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; Malta being an authorised port.

304 ship sanitation certificates were issued during 2010.

Applications and Consultations

During December, another unit within the Environmental Health Directorate, the Food Safety Unit, received thirty requests to process applications to operate a food business; 716 requests were received throughout last year. Prospective operators who wish to open a food business are obliged to apply for a 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 three consultations (out of a total of 36 consultations made last year) to food businesses and carried out a total of 62 visits (1,103 visits last year).

Samples

During December, 229 samples were elevated by the Health Inspectorate and submitted to the Public Health Laboratory for analysis and/or examination for several parameters:

o 86 food samples,

o 78 potable water samples,

o 37 infiltration water samples,

o 15 swabs, and

o 13 other samples.

During 2010, the Public Health Laboratory was responsible for analytical investigations on approximately 8000 samples. Each sample can consist of a number of sub-units and each subunit can be tested for various test parameters. For instance about 13000 microbiological tests were performed on about 5500 samples in 2010.

Recalls

Throughout last month, the Directorate issued a recall of food supplements. This was the thirteenth recall ordered by the Health Authority during 2010.

Contraventions

1. Food related contraventions

Seven contraventions were issued to food business operators:

o one farm in Ghajn Tuffieha for having placed on the market eggs which contravene labelling and egg marketing standards regulations, for not supplying requested information and for obstructing public officers;

o one butcher in Qrendi for exposing food to risk of contamination, and selling frozen turkey drumsticks as fresh;

o two separate operators in Qrendi and Rabat for not having adequate traceability of poultry;

o one fish hawker in Paola for not having adequate cleaning facilities and for selling fish not in appropriate temperature conditions;

o one operator in Marsa for not complying with an undertaking;

o one operator in Sliema for failing to keep premises and equipment in good state, exposing food to risk of contamination and without traceability and food handlers and premises not registered with the Food Safety Commission;

2. Other Environmental Health related contraventions

During December, another five contraventions against different persons were issued by the Health Inspectorate in relation to other environmental health issues specifically for allowing smoking in public places, foul water and defective drains.

Throughout 2010, over seventy-eight food related contraventions and forty-one environmental health related contraventions were issued by the Health Inspectorate.

Emergency Control and Prohibition Orders

During December, four operators were served with an emergency control order and instructed to stop certain activities. Two butchers (one at Marsa and the other at Qrendi) were ordered to stop processing and packing ready to eat foods, another butcher shop at Sliema was ordered to stop his activity due to unhygienic conditions and a farm at Paola was ordered to stop production of cheeselets due to unhygienic conditions.

No premises were closed down during the month under review.

During last year thirty three food operators were served with an emergency control order, twelve food and two non-food premises were closed down.

Complaints

In December, 287 complaints were lodged with the Directorate. These were categorized as follows:

o Food related complaints

Sixty of these complaints were related to food. The most common type of food complaints concerned improper labelling of food (14 complaints), unfit food (8 complaints), unhygienic premises (8 complaints), lapsed durability date (4 complaints), and improper storage of food (3 complaints).

o Other Environmental Health related complaints

Another 221 complaints were environmental health related. Once again, the most common type concerned infiltrations (45 complaints), the presence of pests (38 complaints), leakage/defective drains (20 complaints), drainage overflows (20 complaints), keeping of animals in unhygienic conditions (15 complaints) and foul smells (12 complaints)

Throughout last year, over 6150 complaints were investigated in terms of it’s ISO certification by the Health Inspectorate.

From the Law Courts

During the last three months, eighty three cases (out of 427 cases) were decided by the Magistrate’s Court during fourteen Health Sittings held. From these cases, those found guilty were sentenced conditional discharges ranging from 2 weeks to 1 year and to fines, the total of which amounted just over €2,266:

· Operator of K Mart Supermarket, Triq Nazju Ellul, Gzira was fined €1,000 since on June 2010 he failed to comply with court sentence and tampered products sealed by the Health Authority;

· Operators of Slais Co Ltd, Triq il-Princep Albert, Marsa were fined €700 for removing products without permission sealed by the Health Authority during August, 2010;

· Operator of Joe Green Grocer, Triq Guze` Duca, Qormi was fined €466.87 for not complying with an undertaking during February, 2009

In addition the following were given conditional discharges for a stipulated period:

Two weeks

o Operator of Bakery 96, Main Street, Mosta for keeping of prohibited laminated chipboard and causing risk of contamination in June, 2010;

Three months

o Operator of Rayan Butcher Shop, Triq in-Naxxar, San Gwann for selling open foods and removal of items sealed by the Health Authority and for having in possession food items without proper labelling in August, 2008;

o Operator of Dates Stall at Marsaxlokk for not supplying in April 2009, a wash-hand basin with a temperature controlled water supply;

o Operator of Daily Needs, 7, Triq il-Granmastri, M’scala for keeping dairy products in May, 2009 in incorrect temperature and exposing food to risk of contamination;

o Operators of vehicles JAU017, CBB158, EBF979, JBG467, LCI375, IAZ386, LOR154, BBJ448, KAJ506, GAM175, IAA824, IAS327, and CBA234 for transporting dairy products in incorrect temperatures in July of 2004 and BBJ448 for the same reason in July 2008;

o Eleven fish hawkers at Zabbar, Zebbug and M’Xlokk for keeping fish at incorrect storage temperatures. Contraventions range from March 2006 to June 2008;

o Operators of Tommy Self-service, Triq Sant’Anton, Birgu (July, 2010), Angelo Store, 18, Triq G. Agius Muscat, Zabbar (August, 2010) and Charles Store, Gafar Street, Sliema (March, 2010) for keeping dairy products in incorrect temperatures, amongst other charges in case of the latter;

o Operator of FBJ 746 at Triq San Filippu, Birzebbuga for selling poultry products at incorrect temperatures in June 2010;

o Operator of EAC 179 for smoking in bread van in July, 2010;

Six months

o Operator of Charles Store, Triq Gafar, Sliema due to structural deficiencies in January, 2009;

o Operator of Celine’s Self-Service, Triq L. Briffa, Zejtun for not complying with an undertaking entered with the Health Authority during February, 2009

o Three fish hawkers, two at Mosta (October, 2007 and June, 2008) and another at M’Xlokk (May, 2008) for keeping fish at incorrect storage temperatures, amongst other charges;

o Operator of Trocadero, No. 4, Triq Gafa`, Mosta for keeping premises in unhygienic conditions, lack of provision of wash hand basin with hot water, exposing food to risk of contamination, lack of lighting and ventilation, improperly labelled foodstuffs in July, 2009;

o Illegal tattoo activity in September 2010 at Juno Flats, Flt 9, Mandalay Road, Pembroke

One year

o Operator of Joe Farm, Triq San Gwann, Maghtab, Naxxar for causing drainage overflow onto street in February, 2003;

o Operator of Rayan Butcher Shop, Triq in-Naxxar, San Gwann for not complying with an Emergency Control Order and operating premises not in accordance with licence conditions during 2008;

o Operator of Dolceria Tivoli, Triq Qrejten, Hamrun for not complying with an undertaking in February, 2010;

o Operator of Bodi Store, Pjazza Ninu Cremona, Iklin and bread delivery man for exposing bread to risk of contamination in June 2010;

o Responsible person at 128, Pjazza Antoine De Paule, Paola for illegal take away stall in July 2010 and for having food not stored in inadequate temperatures, and not providing adequate facilities;

o Operator of Piscopo Cash & Carry, Triq Erba Mwiezeb, San Pawl il-Bahar for removal sealed items without permission from the Health Authority in August, 2010;

During 2010, 50 health sittings were held for which over 1,389 cases (one case might be heard more than once) were heard, of which 288 were decided.

The Environmental Health Directorate takes this opportunity to remind the public that it can contact the Health Inspectorate Services between 07:30am and 03:30pm on telephone number 21337333, by calling personally at its offices at 37-39, Rue D’Argens, Msida or by email complaints.ph@gov.mt .

For further information, the public is also encouraged to visit the Directorate’s website at URL:

https://ehealth.gov.mt/HealthPortal/public_health/environmental-health/department_for_env_health.aspx

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