The Environmental Health Directorate within the Superintendence of Public Health has issued a summary of actions taken during April, 2012.
The following is a summary of the report hereunder:
o Over 23 tonnes of foodstuffs were destroyed;
o Legal action taken against 32 outlets during a traceability exercise carried out from January;
o 577 improvement notices were issued during last month;
o 1 HACCP audit performed;
o 25 undertakings were issued;
o 2 products were recalled from consumers;
o 9 Legionella audits carried out;
o 11 swimming pools were audited during 6 audits;
o 6 pools were registered in April;
o 8 schools inspected;
o 10 abatement notices issued;
o 55 food consignments imported were inspected;
o 1 consignment of tattoo equipment was also withheld;
o 1911 notification for importing/trading food into Malta;
o 25 Ship Sanitation certificates issued;
o 84 applications were processed;
o 2286 control cards for narcotics and psychotropic substances were issued;
o 427 samples were elevated and analysed;
o 12 citations issued/processed;
o 3 operators were instructed to stop an activity; and
o 439 complaints lodged with the Health Inspectorate.
DETAILED REPORT
FOOD TRACEABILITY EXERCISE – MARKET SURVEILLANCE
The Health Inspectorate has since January been involved in a specific market surveillance programme on the traceability of several foodstuffs and in particular meat products. During this exercise till April, legal action has been taken against thirty two outlets around Malta. This legal action varied from issuing of contraventions, destruction of food, and emergency control orders.
IMPROVEMENT NOTICES ISSUED TO FOOD BUSINESS OPERATORS
Five hundred and seventy seven 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 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.
HACCP AUDITS
One HACCP audit was carried out during April. The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point is a Food Safety Management System which is obligatory in all food businesses.
UNDERTAKINGS
During April, twenty five undertakings were entered into by the Health Inspectorate, all of which were food related and concerned hygiene of food premises, provision of washing facilities, HACCP, training of food handlers, and on improperly labelled food.
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 April, 23,368.25kg of different foodstuffs were destroyed by the Health Inspectorate, ranging from:
• 21,230kg of wheat flour due damage caused by water entry into the container and subsequent mould growth and another 988.2kg of wheat flour due to not being of the nature, substance and quality demanded by the purchaser;
• 600kg of dried figs since these did not have the mandatory consignment code on the individual packages;
• 138.4kg of cannoli siciliani for not being of the nature, substance and quality demanded by purchaser;
• 67.6kg of confectionery good due to presence of foreign objects;
• 60kg of boneless chicken due to lack of traceability;
• 76.08kg of confectionery goods and 54.25kg of processed meats produced in a non- authorised establishment;
• 46.015kg of several foodstuffs due to lapsed durability date;
• 36.6kg of rabbit meat, bacon and other meat products due to lack of traceability and risk of contamination;
• 23.70kg meat products due to lack of proper labelling;
• 21.9kg of meat products such as poultry and rabbits and 8kg of ravioli due to lack of traceability;
• 9.1kg of fresh poultry being sold as frozen;
• 8.4kg of tuna steaks due to presence of histamine;
RECALLS
Throughout last month, two food products were implicated in withdrawals/warnings issued by this Directorate, due to presence of histamine which exceeded legal limits.
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.
During the same month, eleven swimming pools were inspected during six audits carried out by the Health Inspectorate to verify compliance with Swimming Pools Regulations, 2005 (L.N. 129 of 2005). Six pools were also registered with the Health Authority during this 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 April, eight 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
Ten abatement notices were issued during this month by the Health Inspectorate in terms of the Public Health Act in view of inspections and audits carried out in the previous days.
CONSIGNMENTS
Fifty-five consignments of food imported/traded into Malta were also inspected during April by Environmental Health Officers attached with the Port Health Services within this Directorate.
One consignment of tattoo equipment was also withheld by the Port Health Services.
CONSIGNMENTS DOCUMENTARY CHECKS
1,911 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 April, 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 April, the Health Inspectorate received 84 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 97 visits and one consultation.
CONTROL CARDS FOR NARCOTIC AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES
During April, 2286 control cards for narcotic and psychotropic substances (834 males and 1410 females) were issued by the Drug Control Unit, which is another unit falling under the Health Inspectorate Services. 298 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.
ILLEGAL ADVERTISEMENTS
During April, 12 adverts involving Tobacco products and including electronic cigarettes in breach of Tobacco (Smoking Control) Act were noticed on local sites and the respective advertisers and webmasters were instructed to remove, something which was actually complied with.
SAMPLES
During April, 427 samples were elevated by the Health Inspectorate and submitted to the Public Health Laboratory for analysis and/or examination for several parameters;
o 168 food samples,
o 125 potable water samples,
o 38 swabs,
o 43 infiltration water samples,
o 2 pool water samples,
o 35 sea water samples,
o 16 other samples.
During this year, the Directorate has launched 18 microbiological sampling programmes and 37 chemical sampling programmes targeting several parameters in numerous categories of foodstuffs such as colours, aflatoxins, GMOs, radionucleides, etc.
CONTRAVENTIONS
During this month, twelve contraventions were issued/processed by the Health Inspectorate, eight of which were related to food safety issues:
• One outlet in St. Pauls Bay and another in Gudja for not abiding with an undertaking;
• One outlet in Mgarr for failing to provide traceability documents, and for having in possession improperly labelled food;
• One outlet in Zejtun for failing to undergo training in food hygiene, exposing food to risk of contamination and HACCP;
• One outlet in B’Kara for failing to provide washing facilities;
• One outlet in B’Kara for failing to provide traceability documents, producing food without necessary permits, and for keeping food without proper label;
• One outlet in Qormi for having in possession food which does not meet food safety requirements;
• One outlet in Valletta due to several hygiene irregularities such as lack of waste facilities, improper flooring, ante-rooms, washing facilities, lack of cleanliness, improper equipment and pest control.
Four were related to environmental health issues, as follows:
• One outlet in St. Julians for permitting smoking in an enclosed area.
• One residence in Rabat for having drainage irregularities and another in Ghajnsielem for failing to keep premises clean; and
• One residence in St. Pauls Bay for keeping a cesspit without permit of the Sanitary Authority and for failing to maintain cesspit leakproof.
EMERGENCY CONTROL ORDERS
During April, three emergency control orders were issued; one due to production of food for business purposes in a household, one premises due to keeping of animals inside premises, and one restaurant for producing several meat products for third party without the necessary approvals.
EMERGENCY PROHIBITION ORDERS
During last month, no premises were closed down by the Health Authority due to imminent risk to public health.
COMPLAINTS
In April, 439 complaints were lodged with the Directorate which were categorised in one or more category, as follows:
o Food related complaints
80 complaints were related to food. The most common type of food complaints concerned improper labelling (15 complaints), risk of contamination (14 complaints), unfit food (11 complaints) and unhygienic premises (11 complaints).
o Other Environmental Health related complaints
Another 350 complaints were environmental health related. The most common type concerned presence of pests (85 complaints), infiltrations (78 complaints), foul smells (29 complaints) and accumulations of refuse and drainage overflows (24 complaints each).
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 [1].
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 [2] or on its facebook page on http://www.facebook.com/pages/Environmental-Health-Directorate-Malta/145027878928626 [3].