The Public Health Department launched an investigation after a nurse found the head of a mouse in her plate in the staff canteen at Mater Dei Hospital on Monday.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Parliamentary Secretariat for Health said the incident took place on Monday, when a nurse eating at the staff canteen found the cooked head of a mouse mixed with the vegetables.
Hospital management immediately took action and launched an investigation. Public health inspectors were called on site.
Government sources explained that as soon as the mouse was found, the vegetables served at the canteen were immediately sealed and removed. However, the canteen remained open and food was served to hospital staff after public health inspectors found that there were no other irregularities.
However, it seems that Papillon Caterers, the caterers providing food at the staff canteen, will continue serving food while the investigation is being carried out. In fact sources explained that the investigation is looking into whether the mouse was placed there with a particular purpose in mind or whether it was in the vegetables accidentally.
The statement also said that the vegetables were imported from Belgium after these were processed in Holland. As a result, the Maltese Public Health Inspectorate informed the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed to call back and investigate the batch on the European market.
Public health inspectors contacted the supplier, visited its stores and sealed off the rest of the food from the same batch.
The inspectorate said that it will take any legal action necessary against those responsible.
In a statement, Papillon Caterers confirmed the vegetables served in the meals were imported frozen vegetables packed in the Netherlands and imported from Belgium. The contractor has destroyed all the stock coming from the particular supplier, has terminated all ties with the supplier and is seeking legal advice as to what action it will take against him.
Local health inspectors who incidentally were making an inspection at the canteen on the same day of the incident have found the canteen and kitchen to be up to scratch and upholding all the HACCP catering standards required by EU legislation, and passing all quality control, they said.
The contractor is completely confident that the incident did not arise in-house.
In another statement, Malta Healthcare Caterers said that it was not associated in any way with Monday's incident because it provided catering for hospital patients and not for staff at Mater Dei Hospital.