Document on health regulations for food outlets to be published

Public Health Department inspectors are working on a document explaining health regulations for food outlets.

Once completed, the document will be posted on the department's website so that it could be accessed by food establishment owners, John Attard Kingswell, manager health inspector at the Department of Public Health, said.

He pointed out that the document was being compiled to help food establishments abide by the food safety legislation by explaining the law to them. The English version is expected to be available online in a couple of months, he said, adding that the Maltese version will follow shortly after that.

The inspectors compiling the document were trained abroad, thanks to EU funding to the tune of €1.3 million. Apart from using the funds to invest in equipment for use by the public health authorities, the department struck a twinning agreement with the Central Science Laboratory of the UK and the Irish Food Safety Authority for the training of health inspectors and laboratory analysts.

Part of the training revolved around the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), which enables food handlers to identify and manage the risks associated with the manufacturing, distribution and preparation of food. The system was developed by Nasa to ensure food safety for the first manned space missions.

Although the system became a legal obligation across the EU last year, many establishments, especially the smaller ones, found it difficult to abide by it. Mr Attard Kingswell said this spurred the EU to issue guidelines for small businesses that allow a level of flexibility.

He explained that each operator needs to look at his food handling process and identify any hazards. Next the operator needs to establish whether a hazard point is at a critical stage.

If the food is cooked at a later stage, and the hazard removed, that stage is not considered critical, he explained.

Moreover, he added, food operators need to establish what is acceptable and what should sound alarm bells and how to proceed when something is below the established levels.

Mr Attard Kingswell said that last year the department ordered the closure of 14 food establishments due to possible health risks. It also issued 35 emergency control orders, where, although the establishment was not closed down, health inspectors restricted the activity that could take place within.

In 2006, the department received more than 1,100 complaints regarding breaches of food legislation.

However, he stressed, Malta has come a long way, with improvements being experienced across the board.

"The standard is quite high," he said.

But there are owners who still try to bypass regulations, who do not believe in consumer protection but rather think the law is there merely to cause a hardship to operators. He said that since prior to being granted a licence to operate food outlets are inspected by the department, many applicants go out of their way to make sure that everything is in order. "But once they start operating, the tendency is for them to slacken a bit," he said.

Most of the problems revolve around lack of general hygiene, especially in the areas that are not seen by the public. However, although people might complain about lack of hygiene, many still persist in buying from a particular outlet. "I always ask why people still patronise those outlets. People should get their message across and not go to establishments they believe are breaching food safety regulations.

"The operators will either have to close down or pull up their socks and change their ways," he said.

Asked about food poisoning incidents, Mr Attard Kingswell said nearly half of these originate from the home, pointing at a lack of knowledge about food safety among the public.

One of the main problems is undercooking foods or storing at the wrong temperature. The ideal temperature for bacterial growth is 37°C, which is also the normal body temperature.

The temperature danger zone for bacteria is between 8°C and 63°C, which means that refrigerated food should be kept at a lower temperature while warm products should be reheated at 70°C.

He stressed the importance of cleaning cooking utensils well in order to remove as much bacteria as possible, pointing out that it is better to let utensils drip dry rather than wiping them with a dishcloth because this could be contaminated.