The Environmental Health Directorate within the Superintendence of Public Health is making every effort to keep its contact with the public through a monthly press statement. The following is a summary of actions taken during June, 2012.

The following is a summary of the report hereunder:

o €2,540 of fines imposed during the last three months during 7 health sittings;

o 456 improvement notices were issued during last month;

o 2 HACCP audits performed;

o 8 undertakings were issued;

o 33.4kg of foodstuffs were destroyed;

o 9 Legionella audits carried out;

o 9 swimming pools were audited during 4 audits;

o 18 schools inspected;

o 9 abatement notices issued;

o 51 food consignments imported were inspected;

o 3 consignments of tattoo equipment was also withheld;

o 2066 notification for importing/trading food into Malta;

o 19 Ship Sanitation certificates issued;

o 105 applications were processed;

o 1229 control cards for narcotics and psychotropic substances were issued;

o 79 illegal tobacco related adverts and 2 illegal tattoo adverts were removed;

o 642 samples were elevated and analysed;

o 11 citations issued/processed;

o 619 complaints lodged with the Health Inspectorate.

IMPROVEMENT NOTICES ISSUED TO FOOD BUSINESS OPERATORS

Four hundred and fifty six 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

Two HACCP audits were carried out during June. The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point is a Food Safety Management System which is obligatory in all food businesses.

UNDERTAKINGS

During June, eight undertakings were entered into by the Health Inspectorate, five of which were food related and concerned hygiene of food premises, provision of washing facilities, and on improperly labelled food. Three undertakings were public health related such as pool safety and Legionella control.

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 June, 33.4kg of different foodstuffs were destroyed by the Health Inspectorate, ranging from:

• 2kg of cream doughnuts due to improper storage conditions;

• 11.4 kg of ravioli due to labelling irregularities; and

• 20kg of meat products manufactured in an unlicensed establishment.

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, nine swimming pools were inspected during four audits carried out by the Health Inspectorate to verify compliance with Swimming Pools Regulations, 2005 (L.N. 129 of 2005). One pool was 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 June, eighteen 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

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

Three consignments of tattoo equipment were also withheld by the Port Health Services.

CONSIGNMENTS DOCUMENTARY CHECKS

2,066 requests for importation/trading of foodstuffs were submitted to the Port Health Services as required by Trading Regulations 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 June, nineteen 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 June, the Health Inspectorate received 105 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 91 visits and one consultation.

CONTROL CARDS FOR NARCOTIC AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES

During June, 1229 control cards for narcotic and psychotropic substances (716 females and 513 males) were issued by the Drug Control Unit, which is another unit falling under the Health Inspectorate Services. 170 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 ADVERTISMENTS

During June, 79 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 June, 642 samples were elevated by the Health Inspectorate and submitted to the Public Health Laboratory for analysis and/or examination for several parameters;

o 131 food samples,

o 50 potable water samples,

o 31 swabs,

o 58 infiltration water samples,

o 7 pool water samples,

o 348 sea water samples,

o 17 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.

BATHING WATER MONITORING PROGRAMME

During the month of June, 348 samples of sea water were collected and submitted to the Public Health Laboratory to be analysed for microbiological parameters as stipulated by EU Directive 2006/7/EC. The bathing water monitoring programme is carried out in accordance with the provisions of said EU Directive. The official bathing season started on the 14th May 2012 and will last till the 21st October 2012. Sampling is carried out from 87 official bathing sites throughout the Maltese islands.

Up to the 7th week of the monitoring programme the 87 sites have been classified as follows: 84 sites as Excellent Quality, 3 sites as Good Quality, and no sites as Sufficient or Poor Quality.

CONTRAVENTIONS

During this month, eleven contraventions were issued/processed by the Health Inspectorate, six of which were related to food safety issues:

• One manufacturer for keeping prohibited material within precincts of bakery;

• One outlet for selling foodstuffs without proper labelling;

• One outlet for not providing traceability and producing meat products without a licence

• One outlet due to unhygienic conditions, and not implementing HACCP;

• One store for keeping food in unhygienic conditions, unregistered premises, for not cooperating with officials, and for exposing food to risk of contamination;

• One manufacture for not abiding with an undertaking.

Five were related to environmental health issues, as follows:

• One premises for not abiding with an abatement notice issued beforehand;

• Four residences for connecting rain water system with sewage system;

EMERGENCY CONTROL ORDERS

During June, no emergency control orders were issued and hence no activities were stopped.

EMERGENCY PROHIBITION ORDERS

During June, no emergency prohibition orders were issued and hence no premises were closed down.

FROM THE LAW COURTS

During the last three months, fifty-seven cases (out of 162 cases) were decided by the Magistrate’s Court during 7 Health Sittings held.

From the cases heard in the last quarter, those found guilty were given conditional discharges ranging from 3 months to 24 months and to fines, the total of which amounted to €2,540. The fines were imposed on:

o Eren Kebab House, Tourist Str., Qawra was fined €1,100 for several cases dating back from 2006;

o Pink Promotions, room off St David Str., Mtarfa was fined €500 for operating a business without being registered, unhygienic conditions, no washing and drainage facilities, risk of contamination and lack of traceability in 2010;

o Amazon House, St. Edward Str., Qormi was fined €470 for not abiding with an emergency control order issued against him in 2010.

o Manuel Butcher, Triq Santa Marija, Ghaxaq was fined €470 for exposing food to risk of contamination in February 2012

The following were given conditional discharges for a stipulated period:

24 months

• Operator of Vehicle No. DAI929 situated at Merchants Str., Valletta for exposing food to risk of contamination, improper storage and labelling of food and lack of traceability in July 2011.

• Operator of Liberty Bakery, 111 St Catherine Str., Qormi for not abiding with an undertaking entered into on November 2011.

18 months

• One of the operators of St. Mary’s Band Club, No 315, Triq il-Kungress Ewkaristiku, Mosta since in September 2011 a food handler was not registered with the Food Safety Commission and premises had several structural deficiencies

12 months

• Operator of Sunray Butcher, Triq Haz Zabbar, Paola for lack of traceability, risk of contamination, frozen poultry being sold as fresh, failed to undertake food hygiene training in July, 2011

• Operator of Mario’s Butcher, 21, Melita Str., Sliema for selling meat past their Use By date and lack to provide traceability records in February, 2012

• Cilia Products of St. Thomas Str., Hamrun for exposing food to risk of contamination and tampering with original label in December 2011

8 months

• Sandro’s Kiosk, Bahar ic-Caghaq, Naxxar for exposing food to risk of contamination, hand washing facilities not functioning, equipment washing facilities not provided in September, 2011

6 months

• One of the operators of St. Mary’s Band Club, No 315, Triq il-Kungress Ewkaristiku, Mosta since in September 2011 a food handler was not registered with the Food Safety Commission and premises had several structural deficiencies;

• Operator of Ray’s Butcher, Depiro Str., Sliema for selling meat past their Use By Date, lack to provide traceability records and exposing food to risk of contamination in February, 2012

3 months

• Philip stall, Crafts Village, Ta Qali for not providing adequate hygienic facilities and exposing food to risk of contamination in July, 2006

COMPLAINTS

In June, 619 complaints were lodged with the Directorate which were categorised in one or more category, as follows:

o Food related complaints

113 complaints were related to food. The most common type of food complaints concerned risk of contamination (21 complaints), unhygienic premises (18 complaints), improper labelling (11 complaints), and improper storage of food (10 complaints).

o Other Environmental Health related complaints

Another 584 complaints were environmental health related. The most common type concerned presence of pests (138 complaints), infiltrations (97 complaints), accumulations of refuse (53 complaints), foul smells (46 complaints), keeping of animals in unhygienic conditions (32 complaints) and discharge of foul water (31 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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