A foul smell occasionally emanating from a freezer at the Marsa abattoir risks putting people off Maltese meat and endangering jobs at the slaughterhouse, workers fear.

The stench comes when the freezer, in which carcasses are stored for incineration, is opened.

Nobody was opposing the incineration itself, which has nothing to do with the bad smell, but workers said at a recent seminar on hygiene at the abattoir they feared their jobs would be at stake if business at the abattoir were to drop as a result of the public associating the stench with local produce and opting to buy imported meats instead.

While assuring them the smell was not toxic, Resources and Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino explained that efforts were being made to resolve the problem.

Mr Pullicino stressed that WasteServ's incinerator's emission levels were monitored regularly and results showed they were not dangerous. Emission readings can be viewed on www.wasteservmalta.com.

The abattoir's director of operations, Paul Fenech Gonzi said: "The smells are disgusting and annoying but they are not dangerous". The problem, he continued, was accentuated whenever the incinerator did not operate for some time due to maintenance works. This meant the rotting carcasses piled up and the smell got worse. WasteServ tried to ensure the freezer was opened at night, he explained.

Since the incinerator started operating a year ago, over 5,000 tonnes of waste have been burnt. More than 86 per cent of the waste treated was from abattoirs and animal carcasses and waste brought in by about 500 farmers every month.

During the seminar, food hygiene lecturer Horace Micallef highlighted the importance of hygiene at all levels of food preparation, "from the farm to the fork".

Abattoir workers and Mr Pullicino agreed on working to continue raising standards at the abattoir. "This should not only be done to fulfil EU requirements but to put the consumer's mind at rest that local produce is a quality product. Let's not forget these days consumers can choose to go elsewhere if they are not satisfied with the product," Mr Pullicino said.

He explained that all fresh meat leaving the Marsa abattoir would soon be transported in refrigerated vans. Mr Fenech Gonzi said that, although most meat was already being transported in cold vans, come June 15 there would be no exceptions.