In March, 5280 bottles x 330ml of sparkling water were destroyed due to evidence of tampering with the durability date. 645kg of flour mix and 23.5kg of noodles were destroyed due to the possible presence of unauthorised Genetically Modified Organisms as reported to Malta via the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF).

In a statement the Environmental Health Department provided a breakdown of its work during the month of March:

Improvement Notices

During March, 352 improvement notices in terms of article 33 of the Food Safety Act were issued. This is a slight increase over February but still not as much as in January of this year.

This notice is sent to all food business operators after an unannounced inspection is performed in their establishment by Environmental Health Officers. The intention of this notice is to inform food operators about deficiencies found in their establishments and these are given a specific date in order to remedy these deficiencies. While deficiencies may vary, however when major deficiencies are noted legal action is taken as listed hereunder.

Undertakings

Twenty Three undertakings were entered into with operators during March, 2010; an increase when compared to both January and February.

Undertakings are legal agreements between the food business operators and the Health Authority specifying deadlines by which deficiencies in their premises should be remedied or to re-label products in compliance with existing legislation. Failure to abide with the agreed deadlines results in Court proceedings being initiated. The majority of undertakings during this month were with respect to labelling irregularities and also structural deficiencies in food premises.

Destruction of Food

In March, 5280 bottles x 330ml of sparkling water were destroyed due to evidence of tampering with the durability date. 645kg of flour mix and 23.5kg of noodles were destroyed due to the possible presence of unauthorised Genetically Modified Organisms as reported to Malta via the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). 20kg of foodstuffs packed in an unlicenced premises, 20kg of chicken breasts which were insufficiently labelled, 19.2kg of fish following a court order, 3kg honey due to authenticity issues and 1.5kg of peppered cheeselets due to improper labelling were also destroyed during March.

Contraventions

o Food related contraventions

Seven contraventions were issued to food business operators for several reasons such as for keeping of premises in unhygienic conditions, for tampering with labels of foodstuffs, failing to abide with an undertaking, and for having in possession improperly labelled foodstuffs.

o Other Environmental Health related contraventions

Three contraventions were issued during March for making use of gift schemes intended for the promotion and advertising of cigarettes, which are considered illegal as per Ban on Advertising and Promotion of Tobacco Products Regulations (L.N. 406 of 2005).

Emergency Control Orders

During March, four emergency control orders were issued. One was issued onto one of the premises closed in the past month. This means that the business was reopened under certain conditions. The remaining three control orders were served onto operators who were illegally packing or producing foodstuffs.
These permanent or temporary orders are given to food business operators to stop part of their activities.
Emergency Prohibition Orders
Last month, Shalimar Indian Restaurant of 202, Triq is-Salini, Marsascala was ordered to close down on the 18th March, 2010 by the Health Inspectorate and an Emergency Prohibition Order was served in view of unhygienic conditions noted during an inspection.