The director of Jubilee Food, Alexander Scicluna, was cleared of criminal charges relating to allegedly selling mislabeled honey by a Gozo court last week. Mr Scicluna has been charged multiple times in 2012 due to supposedly importing honey and labeling it as Gozitan.

This honey was considered substandard due to having a high level of sucrose in comparison to its fructose and glucose levels.

The charges followed an inspection carried out by the Department of Agriculture following reports of the mislabeling. Dr Everaldo Attard, a pharmacist and agricultural chemical specialist, had been appointed to analyse honey samples seized from the Gozitano Complex outlet. It was reported, however, that the Department had not legally collected these samples.

There was even doubt expressed by Magistrate Joe Mifsud, that the honey being sampled was even the honey being sold in the first place. The court also pointed out that an inspection by the Health Department a few months prior had yielded no conclusive results to substantiate the accusations either.

Regarding the mislabeling, considering that the jar was not labeled, the charge also fell through.

Inspector Josric Mifsud explained to the court that the sample jar was never in possession of the police and there was no instruction given whatsoever to seal the samples before they were passed on to the expert.

In final comments, the court pointed out the need for the prosecution to have sufficient evidence to support any case before they press charges especially when such allegations could have dire commercial consequences on the accused.

The case was subsequently thrown out of court.