Throughout this year, the Environmental Health Directorate within the Public Health Regulation Department will once again inform the public periodically on the activities undertaken throughout the previous month. The following is a summary of actions taken during January, 2012.

The following is a summary of the report hereunder:

o 590 improvement notices were issued during this month;

o 15 undertakings were issued;

o 1806kg of foodstuffs were destroyed;

o 8 Legionella audits carried out;

o 30 swimming pools were audited during 5 audits;

o 2 new pools were registered in January;

o 12 schools inspected;

o 13 abatement notices issued;

o 60 food consignments imported were inspected;

o 1793 notification for importing/trading food into Malta;

o 25 Ship Sanitation certificates issued;

o 81 applications were processed;

o 2561 control cards for narcotics and psychotropic substances were issued;

o 97 samples were elevated and analysed;

o 4 citations issued/processed;

o 2 operators were instructed to stop an activity; and

o 338 complaints lodged with the Health Inspectorate.

Five hundred and ninety improvement notices in terms of article 33 of the Food Safety Act have been issued to food business operators by the Health Inspectorate Services. This is a slight decrease in inspections when compared to January of last year but it is an increase of over 140 inspections carried out during January of 2010.

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

During January, fifteen undertakings were entered into by the Health Inspectorate. Fourteen were food related and were divided as follows: ten concerned hygiene of food premises, two improper labelling of food and one due to deficiencies in food premises, HACCP and lack of training.

Another undertaking was entered into with an operator due to environmental health issues in particular since a risk assessment to identify and assess the risk of exposure to legionella bacteria from work activities and the water systems was not carried out and failed to identify any necessary precautionary measures which need to be adopted through a Risk Assessment Manual as per guidelines. The same establishment also failed to establish and make available to the Competent Authority a pool safety operating procedure manual for swimming pools.

Undertakings are legal agreements between the operators and the Health Authority specifying deadlines by which deficiencies in their premises should be remedied in compliance with standing legislation. Failure to abide with the agreed deadlines results in Court proceedings being initiated.

DESTRUCTION OF FOOD

In January, around 1,806kg of different foodstuffs were destroyed by the Health Inspectorate, ranging from:

• 1117.44kg of bakersware due to lack of health warning on labels due to presence of certain colours;

• 214.5kg of kitchenware due to lack of documented compliance with EC Regulation 284/2011

• 163.8kg of pine nuts due to metallic after taste;

• 150kg of seafood due to unauthorised import in the European Union; and

• 160kg of miscellaneous items due to several reasons.

LEGIONELLA AUDITS AND POOL INSPECTIONS

Eight 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, thirty swimming pools were inspected during five audits carried out by the Health Inspectorate to verify compliance with Swimming Pools Regulations, 2005 (L.N. 129 of 2005). Two pools were also registered with the Health Authority during previous month. 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.

INSPECTIONS OF SCHOOLS

During January, twelve 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

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

FOOD CONSIGNMENTS

60 consignments of food imported/traded into Malta were also inspected during January by Environmental Health Officers attached with the Port Health Services within this Directorate.

CONSIGNMENTS DOCUMENTARY CHECKS

1,793 requests for importation/trading of foodstuffs were submitted to the Port Health Services as required by Trading Regulations of 2004 (Legal Notice 315 of 2004.

All traders of food including food contact materials and food supplements are reminded to notify the Port Health Services, 48hours in advance.

SHIP SANITATION CERTIFICATES

During January, 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 involves 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 January, the Health Inspectorate received eighty-one requests to process applications to operate food and non-food business. Prospective operators who wish to open such businesses 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 with the Food Safety Unit, which is involved in the licensing of food related business carried out a total of 105 visits and one consultation.

CONTROL CARDS FOR NARCOTIC AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES

During January, 2561 control cards for narcotic and psychotropic substances (939 males and 1622 females) were issued by the Drug Control Unit, which is another unit falling under the Health Inspectorate Services. 190 of these cards were new applicants.

These cards are issued when a medical doctor deems that a person needs to be prescribed a psychotropic drug. An application form is filled in and handed over to the patient which is in turn submitted to the Drug Control Unit, Shop 12, City Gate, Valletta Tel; 21245490.

SAMPLES

During January, 97 samples were elevated by the Health Inspectorate and submitted to the Public Health Laboratory for analysis and/or examination for several parameters;

o 32 food samples,

o 4 potable water samples,

o 3 swabs,

o 57 infiltration water samples,

o 1 other samples.

During this year, the Directorate will carry out a number of sampling programmes as done in previous years.

CONTRAVENTIONS

In the past month, four contraventions were issued/processed by the Health Inspectorate, three of which were related to food safety issues:

• One butcher for exposing food to risk of contamination and selling foodstuffs without proper labelling;

• One confectionery for selling foodstuffs which contained foreign objects;

• A catering establishment for failing to abide with an undertaking

One contravention was due to the failure of a resident to remove stoppage in drains.

EMERGENCY CONTROL ORDERS

During January, the following operators were served with emergency control orders as follows:

• A store was ordered to improve hygiene and organisation;

• A self service was ordered to stop from processing, manufacturing and packing of meat and poultry products without the necessary licence that is issued from the Health Authority.

EMERGENCY PROHIBITION ORDERS

During last month, no premises were close down by the Health Authority due to imminent risk to public health.

COMPLAINTS

In January, 338 complaints were lodged with the Directorate which were categorised in one or more category, as follows:

o Food related complaints 48 complaints were related to food. The most common type of food complaints concerned improper labelling (8 complaints), unfit food (5 complaints), unhygienic premises (5 complaints), premises not operating in accordance with licence conditions (5 complaints) and risk of contamination (5 complaints)

o Other Environmental Health related complaints Another 306 complaints were environmental health related. The most common type concerned presence of pests (83 complaints), infiltrations (61 complaints) and accumulations of refuse (25 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 URL: https://ehealth.gov.mt/HealthPortal/public_health/environmental-health/department_for_env_health.aspx or on its facebook page on

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Environmental-Health-Directorate-Malta/145027878928626

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