The following is a summary of some activities undertaken by the Health Inspectorate Services of the Environmental Health Directorate within the Public Health Regulation Department during the March, 2011.

Improvement Notices Issued to Food Business Operators

502 improvement notices in terms of article 33 of the Food Safety Act have been issued to food business operators by the Health Inspectorate Services; a slight increase over the previous 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 when the deficiencies need to be remedied. Though the seriousness of deficiencies might vary, legal action is initiated when major deficiencies are noted.

Undertakings with Food Business Operators

During the same month, thirteen undertakings were entered into with food business operators. Eight concerned hygiene of premises such as provision of washing facilities, HACCP, etc and five concerned improperly labelled food.

Undertakings are legal agreements between the food business operators and the Health Authority specifying deadlines by when 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 March, over 830kg of different foodstuffs were destroyed by the Health Inspectorate, up from 405Kg in February, ranging from:

o 440 kg of mouldy cheese;

o 170 litres of soft drinks and 50kg of sugar confectionery due to expired foodstuffs and tampered labels;

o 41 kg of various foodstuffs with lapsed durability dates

o 37.5 kg of poultry products with misleading label and traceability issues; and

o 11 kg eggs with misleading label as to their origin

Legionella Audits and Pool Inspections

Twelve 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.

During the same month, fourteen swimming pools were inspected during six relevant audits carried out 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.

During March, one swimming pool was registered with this Directorate in terms of mentioned regulation. A list of registered pools can be found in the Directorate’s website mentioned below.

Inspections of Schools

During March, thirty-five schools were inspected to ensure compliance with general hygiene requirements. Such inspections are carried out in private, government or church owned schools and whether, primary, secondary, tertiary or language or special schools.

Abatement Notices

Nineteen abatement notices were issued during the previous month by the Health Inspectorate in terms of the Public Health Act and in view of inspections and audits carried out in the previous days.

Food Consignments

Sixty-four consignments of food imported into Malta were also inspected during March by Environmental Health officers attached with the Port Health Services within this Directorate.

Ship Sanitation Certificates

During March, twenty-five 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.

Applications and Consultations

During March, another unit within the Environmental Health Directorate, the Food Safety Unit, received fifty-nine requests to process applications to operate a food business. 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 such as 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 carried out a total of 70 visits.

With regards to non-food applications, the Health Inspectorate received another nineteen applications for clearance with respect to proposed outlets such as tattooists, beauticians, hairdressers, etc.

Samples

During March, 411 samples were elevated by the Health Inspectorate and submitted to the Public Health Laboratory for analysis and/or examination for several parameters:

o 204 food samples,

o 60 potable water samples,

o 41 swabs,

o 80 infiltration water samples,

o 12 pool water samples and

o 14 other samples.

During the last months, the Directorate also launched its sampling programmes as has been done in recent years. Throughout this year, 16 microbiological sampling programmes and 28 chemical sampling programmes are planned.

Recalls

Throughout last month, no food products were recalled.

Contraventions

In the past month, nine contraventions were issued/processed by the Health Inspectorate, six of which were food related as follows:

o Two butcher shops in Tarxien and Ghaxaq for selling poultry without proper labelling, misleading information and for keeping frozen poultry at inappropriate temperature;

o Another butcher in Siggiewi for failing to provide traceability records for Maltese-type sausages, not cooperating with health authority and produced Maltese-type sausages without a valid licence;

o One hawker at B’Kara open market for failing to provide adequate hand washing and cleaning facilities;

o One outlet in Attard for failing to abide by a previously issued Emergency Control Order regarding unauthorised medicinal claims on food/food supplements; and

o One stall in Pitkali fruit section, Attard for failing to have traceability records and for having in possession foodstuffs whose labelling was not in one of the languages accepted in the Malta;

The following environmental related citations (three) were also issued / processed:

o Two persons in Marsa and Hamrun for having in possession tattoo equipment and material without having the necessary permits from the Superintendent of Public Health;

o Another person from Balzan for failing to abide with instructions issued by the Environmental Health Officers.

From the Law Courts

During the last three months, forty-eight cases (out of 255 cases) were decided by the Magistrate’s Court during ten Health Sittings held. From these cases, thirty six were new whilst the remaining were brought forward from other months/years. Sixteen cases out of these thirty six cases were decided.

From these cases, those found guilty were sentenced conditional discharges ranging from 2 months to 1 year and to fines, the total of which amounted just over €951.87. The fines were imposed on the operators of Amazon, Triq San Dwardu, Qormi and Bronz Bar, 39, Misrah ir-Repubblika, Zurrieq for failing to adhere to an undertaking entered with the Health Authority on 15th December, 2005 and 11th January, 2010 respectively

The following were given conditional discharges for a stipulated period:

One year

o Operator of Date Kiosk with vehicle Registration No DAI-913 at Mosta Open Market on the 1st November, 2010 for not providing food hygiene training, dates being kept at inappropriate temperatures, lack of hand washing and cleaning facilities, smoking whilst handling food, and foodstuffs without proper label

Eight months

o Operator of Xan Sweet Shop, 95, Triq l-Arkata, Paola for keeping dairy products in inappropriate temperatures and several structural deficiencies on the 27th October, 2010.

Six months

o Operator of El Nickyle, Triq Dun Amabile Sisner, Pembroke for not having adequate washing facilities in June 2001.

o Operator of General Store, Triq San Gorg, Paola for tampering with products sealed by the Health Inspectorate and for keeping dairy products in inappropriate temperature conditions on two separate occasions in August and September, 2010 respectively;

o Operator of Welcome Butcher, Triq Isouard, Marsa for exposing food to risk of contamination and failure to provide traceability records in November, 2010;

o Operator of Falzon Butcher, Triq il-Kullegg, Rabat for failing to provide traceability records for capons and lack of cooperation with Health Inspectorate in December, 2010;

Four months

o Operator of hawker at Triq il-Kardinal Sciberras, Qormi for selling unrefrigerated fresh cheeselets in October, 2010;

Three months

o Operator of Bocconcino Restaurant, Triq il-Kbira, San Giljan for allowing smoking in enclosed public places in December, 2006;

o Two food handlers at Istanbul Kebab House, 21st September Avenue, Naxxar and another at Ta’ Marija Confectionery, Triq Nerik Sacco, Marsa for failing to attend food hygiene training and hence not registered as food handlers in August, 2010;

o Operator of Cassar Bakery, 48, Triq San Edwardu, Qormi for failing to adhere with an undertaking in October, 2010;

o Operator of 90, Triq Nuzzo, Hamrun for operating a business without being registered and various structural deficiencies during April, 2009;

o Operator of Yummies Confectionery, Triq l-Isqof Antonio Zahra, Zejtun for exposing food to risk of contamination and premises not according to licence in September, 2010;

o Operator of Joseph Butcher, Triq Camenzuli, Sliema for keeping premises in unhygienic conditions, risk of contamination, and premises not registered with Food Safety Commission in March, 2010;

o Operator of Luxol Sports Ground, Triq Sant’Andrija, St. Andrews for keeping premises in unhygienic conditions, premises and food handlers not registered with Food Safety Commission and failing to provide hand washing facilities at same in April, 2010;

Two months

o Operator of Joseph Butcher, Triq Camenzuli, Sliema for allowing various deficiencies at mentioned outlet in December, 2010.

Emergency Control and Prohibition Orders

During March, no food businesses were closed down or served with emergency control orders.

Complaints

In March, 362 complaints were lodged with the Directorate which were categorised in one or more category, as follows:

o Food related complaints

Seventy-three complaints were related to food. The most common type of food complaints concerned improper labelling of food (19 complaints), unfit food (15 complaints), unhygienic premises (15 complaints), and 5 complaints on bakehouses that allegedly used prohibited materials for combustion purposes.

o Other Environmental Health related complaints

Another 304 complaints were environmental health related. The most common type concerned infiltrations (76 complaints), presence of pests (62 complaints), accumulations of refuse (23 complaints), keeping of animals in unhygienic conditions (22 complaints) and leakage/defective drains (20 complaints).

Note: The number of complaints and the number of categories do not tally, since one complaint received may encompass one or more categories.

The Environmental Health Directorate takes this opportunity to remind the public that it can contact the Health Inspectorate Services between 7:30am and 3:30pm 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 https://ehealth.gov.mt/HealthPortal/public_health/environmental-health/department_for_env_health.aspx

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