Quantities of rice, expired foodstuffs, meat products and eggs were among food that was destroyed in March by the Environmental Health Directorate. In all, 2,871 kilograms of foodstuffs were destroyed, made up of: 2,640kg of rice due to the possibility of foreign objects; 50.4kg of expired foodstuffs; 83kg of meat products which were produced without any approval; 70kg of various pre-packed foodstuffs due to the risk of contamination; 24kg of meat and 3.65 kg of eggs due to lack of traceability.

Nine audits at hotels, and other similar premises to ascertain compliance with Control of Legionella Regulations and the Registration of Cooling Towers and Evaporative Condensers Regulations were performed by the Health Inspectorate during last month. 

During March, 35 schools were inspected to ensure compliance with general hygiene requirements. Such inspections are carried out in private, government or Church-owned schools.

Fifty-two consignments of food imported/traded into Malta were also inspected during March by Environmental Health Officers attached with the Port Health Services in this directorate. One consignment consisting of 50 cases of Wurstel was returned to the supplier in Italy as these were not stored in adequate temperature.

During March, the Health Inspectorate received 107 requests to process applications to operate food and non-food businesses. 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, the directorate is consulted in order to verify suitability of proposed premises.

During March, 11 contraventions were issued/processed by the Health Inspectorate, nine of which were related to food safety issues. They included:

• One operator for exposing for sale expired fresh chicken legs and fresh rabbit and for not providing traceability documentation;

• Another operator for exposing for sale expired fresh chicken breast and legs and fresh rabbits, for not providing traceability documentation, for exposing food to risk of contamination and for selling ham and gammon without proper labelling;

• One operator for failing to register business with Food Safety Commission, failing to provide adequate potable water supply, failing to provide adequate equipment cleaning facilities, exposed food to risk of contamination, selling packed foodstuffs without durability date and which were misleading to the consumers.

Two contraventions were also issued on environmental health issues:

• One business for failing to remedy a defect in drains; and

• A residence for allowing rainwater into the drainage system;

During the last three months, 32 cases (out of 241) were decided by the Magistrates’ Court during nine health sittings.

From the cases heard in the last quarter, those found guilty were given conditional discharges ranging from three months to 36 months and to fines, the total of which amounted to €3,071. The fines were imposed on:

• Pizza Marina, Triq ix-Xatt, Għajnsielem was fined €500 for not abiding with an undertaking entered into in 2011;

• A hawker in Vittoriosa was fined €470 for not providing an adequate supply of hot and cold water, hand washing and drying facilities and also for not undergoing food hygiene training in November, 2010;

• Ta Caccu Social Club, Qormi was fined €470 for not abiding with an undertaking entered upon in June, 2011;

• Topaz Hotel, St Paul’s Bay was fined €470 for not abiding with three undertakings entered into in May, 2011;

• Horse Meat, Paola was fined €470 for not abiding with an undertaking entered into in March 2011 and for not attending food hygiene training;

• Malata Restaurant, Valletta was fined €466 for not abiding with an undertaking entered into in 2008;

• An owner of an open space in Gozo was fined €175 for keeping an accumulation of dung in 2011; and

• A resident of Balzan was fined €50 for obstructing an Environmental Health Officer on 17 March, 2011.

The following were given conditional discharges for a stipulated period:

36 months

• Hawker in Vittoriosa open market for not supplying hot and cold water and for being a relapser in November 2010;

24 months

• Black Pearl, Ta’ Xbiex for operating a business in unhygienic conditions, equipment in direct contact with food was not found clean, incomplete Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system, irregular drains and cesspit not properly sealed, no hand washing facility in preparation area, improper lighting and ventilation, irregular toilets, and walls not kept in a good state of repair and condition in October, 2011;

18 months

• Owner of vehicle registration No: DBC-742 in St Paul’s Bay for not registering the vehicle to be used for the transportation of food with the Food Safety Commission, exposing food to risk of contamination, food was kept in temperatures which are a risk to health, food handler did not attend food hygiene training, selling rabbits and cheeselets without a proper label, transported food not within the required temperature and obstructed Environmental Health Officers from their duty in October, 2011.

12 months

• C & K Ciappara Ltd, Qrendi for having in possession foodstuffs without proper label and for failing to provide traceability documentation back in December, 2010;

• HI Grade Butcher Shop, Qrendi for operating premises not in accordance to licence, exposing food to risk of contamination, frozen turkey drumsticks kept at a temperature of more than -12°C, meat kept at a temperature favourable to the growth of pathogenic micro organisms resulting in a risk to health, no traceability records for Maltese sausages and not registered with Food Safety Commission in December 2010;

• Topaz Hotel, St Paul’s Bay for deficiencies in toilets and anteroom and lack of maintenance of certain equipment in July, 2011;

• A resident in Żabbar for operating a business without proper hygienic arrangements, foodstuffs being kept at ambient temperature, exposing food to risk of contamination, no hand washing and food washing facilities, lack of ventilation, improper drains and food handler failed to attend food hygiene training in September 2011;

• Owner of Toyota JAJ 271 which was delivering foodstuffs in Sliema for exposing foodstuffs to risk of contamination, keeping the food at inappropriate temperatures in July, 2010;

• Doughnut hawker vehicle registration JES 652 at Ta’ Qali Open Market, Ta’ Qali for not providing a suitable hand washing facility, vehicle not registered with Food Safety Commission, exposing food to risk of contamination and for food handler failing to wear adequate protective clothing in April, 2011.

Eight months

• Owner of garage ‘In-Neqnieq’, in Munxar for manufacturing meat products in unlicensed/unregistered premises back in 2009.

Six months

• A resident from Birkirkara for keeping an illegal tattoo shop and for having in possession tattoo instruments without a valid licence in February, 2011;

• Scotts Supermarket, Burmarrad for exposing for sale frozen chicken drumsticks and oven ready turkey which were kept at a temperature of more than -12°C, whole chicken which were improperly labelled and premises were not registered with Food Safety Commission in November, 2010;

• Adventure Camping and Leisure Limited, l/o Mellieħa for not abiding with an abatement notice carried out on June, 2011.

Three months

• Tuck Inn Restaurant, St Paul’s Bay for not abiding with an abatement notice issued in 2007.

In March, 448 complaints were lodged with the directorate which were categorised in one or more category, as follows:

Food-related complaints

• 74 complaints were related to food.  The most common type of food complaints concerned risk of contamination (13 complaints), unfit food (12 complaints), unhygienic premises (nine complaints) and improper labelling (seven complaints).

Other environmental

health-related complaints

• Another 419 complaints were environmental health-related. The most common type concerned presence of pests (114 complaints), infiltrations (77 complaints) and accumulations of refuse (38 complaints).

The Environmental Health Directorate said the public may contact the Health Inspectorate Services between 7.30am and 3.30pm on telephone number 2133-7333, by calling personally at its offices at 37-39, Rue D’Argens, Msida or by email to [email protected] .