Health Inspectorate destroys 7,000 kg of food
More than 6,975 kilogrammes of food were destroyed by the Health Inspectorate in December.
These included:
* 3,080kg of honey due to non-compliance with quality parameters;
*2,118kg of jam due to labelling irregularities; and
*1,727kg of fish and seafood due to lapsed durability date.
The Environmental Health Directorate said that more than 78 tonnes of illegal foodstuffs were destroyed under the supervision of the Health Inspectorate last year.
The directorate said that seven contraventions were issued to food business operators in December.
These were:
* a farm in Ghajn Tuffieha for having placed on the market eggs which contravened labelling and egg marketing standards regulations, not supplying requested information and obstructing public officers;
* a butcher in Qrendi for exposing food to risk of contamination, and selling frozen turkey drumsticks as fresh;
* two operators in Qrendi and Rabat for not having adequate traceability of poultry;
* a fish hawker in Paola for not having adequate cleaning facilities and for selling fish not in appropriate temperature conditions;
* an operator in Marsa for not complying with an undertaking;
* an operator in Sliema for failing to keep premises and equipment in good state, exposing food to risk of contamination and without traceability and food handlers and premises not registered with the Food Safety Commission;
Another five contraventions were issued in relation to other environmental health issues, specifically for allowing smoking in public places, foul water and defective drains.
Four operators were served with an emergency control order and told to stop certain activities.
Two butchers, one at Marsa and the other at Qrendi, were ordered to stop processing and packing ready-to-eat foods, a butcher shop at Sliema was ordered to stop his activity due to unhygienic conditions and a farm at Paola was ordered to stop production of cheeselets due to unhygienic conditions.
No premises were closed down.
Twelve food and two non-food premises were closed down last year.
The public can contact the Health Inspectorate Services, 37-39, Rue D’Argens, Msida, between 7:30 a.m. and 3.30 p.m., tel: 2133 7333, e-mail: complaints.ph@gov.mt .
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11 Comments
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Andy Towler
Jan 12th 2011, 17:57
To echo the previous commenters: why no names?
Paul Spiteri
Jan 12th 2011, 19:45
To see names go to this link
http://doi.gov.mt/EN/press_releases/2011/01/pr0043.asp
Paul Sammut
Jan 12th 2011, 17:50
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12160355
Germany to kill hundreds of pigs tainted with dioxin
A few links about food. Note the link about honey. A few months ago a certain brand of UK honey suddenly vanished from the shelves and a shop owner thought that they may have been collected to be re-branded as Maltese honey. Do the authorities test honey and other products to make sure that they are genuine Maltese products and not imported ones?
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/europe/2011/01/12/287334/Germany-kills.htm
Germany kills hundreds of dioxin-contaminated pigs
http://www.care2.com/causes/real-food/blog/honey-laundering/
Honey Laundering May Mask Dangerous Contaminants
http://www.care2.com/causes/environment/blog/millions-of-dead-fish-and-birds-worldwide-video/
Millions Of Dead Fish And Birds Worldwide (VIDEO)
Josephine Callus
Jan 12th 2011, 19:55
Good honey link Mr Sammut.
"For nearly a decade, an international cabal of criminals has been secretly smuggling a sought-after substance across borders, altering shipping records, evading government inspectors, and adulterating supplies with cheap, potentially dangerous additives, all in the name of profit....In 2002, at the request of U.S. honey producers who were struggling to compete with an influx of low-priced imported honey, the U.S Commerce Department placed a hefty tariff of $1.20 per pound on imported honey from China, the world's largest honey producer....That same year, European and Canadian officials discovered and seized more than 80 shipments of Chinese honey that were contaminated with the antibiotic chloramphenicol. Linked to liver damage, bone marrow suppression, anemia and leukemia in humans, chloramphenicol has been banned for use by beekeepers in the United States....Since then, imported honey from China has also been found on several occasions to be contaminated with pesticides or industrial pollutants, or diluted with corn syrup or cane sugar.....honey traders have been clandenstinely routing Chinese honey through various other countries, including India and Singapore, where co-conspirators relabel the sweetener with a new country of origin...
What are the authorities doing about it to protect us in Malta?
smifsud
Jan 12th 2011, 17:50
Why honey ???,....honey is the ONLY food that doesnt spoil or go bad ....mmm i wonder why? ..maybe it was contaminated with a foreign substance ....
G. Zammit
Jan 12th 2011, 16:38
Shop owners (groceries, meat, fish and restaurants/hotels) should be visited more regularly by Government officials in order to certify their hygienic level. Premises should be graded, for example: (A TO C) (D FAIL) F (CLOSED). This grade should be clearly visible by customers, so they know a priori the level of hygiene of that particular establishment. A C graded shop should be given a week to comply with the highest standard possible and this should be kept for at least 3 months before being upgraded to an A.
A. Fernandez
Jan 12th 2011, 15:12
If they closed down these shops, they would also have to close down most supermarkets in Malta.
Considering that the supermarkets are repeat offenders with rotten "fresh foods" or expired packaged items, it seems that this is a case of going after the small guy in attempt to create the impression amongst the public that something is being done.
A. Agius
Jan 12th 2011, 14:44
That's a damn lot of honey!!
michael fenech
Jan 12th 2011, 14:26
How come no names are published???? The pulic have a right to know. These places should be closed down because they’re putting public health at risk.
gaffarena joseph
Jan 12th 2011, 14:10
THIS IS THE ONLY DEPARTMENT THAT IS DOING SOMETHING FOR THE CONSUMERS.
Well done.
Johan Abela
Jan 12th 2011, 13:47
I want these premises listed by name.