The Environmental Health Directorate within the Superintendence of Public Health has issued a summary of actions taken during the previous month.

The following is a summary of actions taken during January, 2013.

The following is a summary of the report hereunder:

o 491 improvement notices were issued during last month;

o 6 undertakings were issued;

o 1267.9kg of foodstuffs were destroyed;

o 13 Legionella audits carried out;

o 17 swimming pools were audited during 7 audits;

o 15 schools inspected;

o 6 abatement notices issued;

o 54 food consignments imported were inspected;

o 1821 notification of food and 6 food supplements for importing/trading into Malta;

o 389 personal parcels checked;

o 29 Ship Sanitation certificates issued;

o 147 applications were processed;

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

o 8 illegal tobacco related adverts and 4 illegal tattoo adverts were removed;

o 216 samples were elevated and analysed;

o 4 citations issued/processed;

o 398 complaints lodged with the Health Inspectorate.

IMPROVEMENT NOTICES ISSUED TO FOOD BUSINESS OPERATORS

Four hundred and ninety one 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.

UNDERTAKINGS

During January, six undertakings were entered into by the Health Inspectorate, all were food related and concerned hygiene of food premises, improperly labelled food, and food handlers training.

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

During January, 1267.9kg of different foodstuffs were destroyed by the Health Inspectorate, ranging from:

• 968.1kg of frozen bakersware and 12.04kg of sugar confectionery due to recalls;

• 199kg various meat products and 1kg cannelloni Siciliani due to lack of traceability;

• 31.8kg smoothies, 15.3kg sauces, 8.5kg ice cream, fresh strawberries 4.4kg since these were unfit for human consumption;

• 10kg of bacon due lack of traceability and risk of contamination;

• 3.4kg of tea due to unauthorised health claims; and

• 14.36kg of various grocery items;

LEGIONELLA AUDITS AND POOL INSPECTIONS

Thirteen 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, seventeen swimming pools were inspected during seven audits carried out by the Health Inspectorate to verify compliance with Swimming Pools Regulations, 2005 (L.N. 129 of 2005). No pools were 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.

INSPECTIONS OF SCHOOLS

During January, fifteen 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

Six 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-four 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

1,821 requests for importation/trading of foodstuffs and 6 requests for importation of food supplements 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.

PERSONAL IMPORTS

During the same period about 389 parcels were checked by the Port Health Services and 4 parcels were rejected.

SHIP SANITATION CERTIFICATES

During January, twenty-nine 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 147 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 90 visits and 2 consultations.

CONTROL CARDS FOR NARCOTIC AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES

During January, 2561 control cards for narcotic and psychotropic substances (1622 females and 939 males) 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.

ILLEGAL ADVERTISEMENTS

During January, 8 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.

Four adverts of tattoo equipment were also noticed in contravention of the Control of Tattooing Act.

SAMPLES

During January, 216 samples were elevated by the Health Inspectorate and submitted to the Public Health Laboratory for analysis and/or examination for several parameters;

o 98 food samples,

o 9 potable water samples,

o 17 swabs,

o 69 infiltration water samples, and

o 23 other samples.

CONTRAVENTIONS

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

• One bar for exposing food to risk of contamination, failed to provide adequate washing facilities, lack of pest proofing, and improper sanitary convenience;

• One band club for not abiding with an undertaking entered into earlier on;

• One retailer for not implementing a HACCP system, for possessing foods with a lapsed use by date.; and

One was environmental health related:

• A residence for keeping drainage irregularities.

COMPLAINTS

During January, 398 complaints were lodged with the Directorate which were categorised in one or more category, as follows:

o Food related complaints

66 complaints were related to food. The most common type of food complaints concerned were risk of contamination (17 complaints), improper labelling (10 complaints), fitness of food (9 complaints), and storage of food (8 complaints).

o Other Environmental Health related complaints Another 369 complaints were environmental health related. The most common type concerned were presence of pests (107 complaints), infiltrations (94 complaints), accumulations of refuse (30 complaints), drainage overflow (19 complaints), leakage/defective drains (19 complaints) and foul smells (15 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 7:00am and 3:00pm on telephone number 21337333, by calling personally at its offices at Continental Business Centre, Cutrico Buildings, Old Railway Track, Santa Venera 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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