David Schembri
Health authorities taking Twistees makers to court
A box of Twistees awaits delivery at the Darrell Lea Foods factory in Marsa. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli
The health authorities have decided to press charges against the manufacturers of Twistees over plastic contamination last month.
A spokesman for the Environmental Health Directorate said legal action against Darrell Lea Foods would be taken in terms of the Food Safety Act. However, he would not say what the company will be charged with, citing “legal reasons”.
Batch BFF HD, expiring on October 16, 2011, was recalled by the Environmental Health Directorate when molten plastic was reported in a packet on July 19.
Company director Steve Calleja said then that a plastic bucket on the production line had fallen into the oven when the batch in question was being baked, melting with the cheesy snack. He said the company had noticed the defect soon after and managed to contain most of the stock inside the factory, adding that only 250 packets remained unaccounted for.
The health directorate, however, disputed this claim, pointing out that 35,088 packets in the affected batch had been “produced and sold”. After a consumer reported the plastic part, the company was told to recall the product. A total of 838 packets were recovered, leaving 34,250 packets in the batch unaccounted for, the directorate said.
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Mr Tony Camilleri
Aug 5th 2011, 22:39
Jaqaw l-awtorità m'għandhomx am x'hiex jaqbdu?
Lil dik il-kumpaniji Belġjana li kienet ippakkjat il-ħaxix nir-ras ta' Ġurdien miegħu għalfen ma tellajtuhiex il-Qorti?
Istħu jekk tafu tistħu ja' lagħaqa tal-barranin.
Ms C Galea
Aug 5th 2011, 19:50
I have said this many times before .that Twistees are like a trademark to Malta.
This small incident should not make us believe that Twistees is no longer safe.
In fact at the moment I am having a packet and yummy how different and how good it tastes
.I urge Twistees to start issuing T Shirts with Twistees logo on it.
Again DON`T CRUSIFY ONE OF OUR MOST CLASSICAL AND LOVED SNACKS
MALCOLM SEYCHELL
Aug 5th 2011, 19:19
qazzistuna awtorita wara ohra. lanqas hiter u stalin ma kellhom awtoritajiet daqs kemm ghanda Malta u inefficjenti u jaqbdu maz zghir flok il kbir....
C Attard
Aug 5th 2011, 21:34
mur gibu li kien it tifel tieghek ta xi 4 snin li kiel pakkett minn dawn bil plastic, kontx tighd l-istess. Veru li accidenti jigru, pero l- mod ta kif jigu ttrattati l-accidenti hu li jaghti l-kredibilita' lill kumpanija.
M Sammut
Aug 5th 2011, 17:10
So will there be a new packet called Plastees ?
J. Debono
Aug 5th 2011, 15:33
Mmmmmmmmmmm
Twisteeeeeeeeeees
Stephen Tonna
Aug 5th 2011, 15:31
mmmmmmm qabbadtuni aptit ta twistees, daqt mmur nixtri zewg pakketti :D
Joanne Vella
Aug 5th 2011, 10:27
The mission statement of the Env Health Directorate is " To promote and safeguard the well-being and health of the public from adverse environmental effects" this is done by enforcement of legislation derived from the European Union, National and international legislation. https://ehealth.gov.mt/healthportal/public_health/environmental-health/department_for_env_health.aspx
However for me this legal action looks more like a cure rather then prevention. What about legal actions taken by this directorate regarding HACCP systmes, which is a food safety management system which is regulated by both EU and local legislation? How many companies in Malta are complying with this law? A law which really promotes the prevention of hazards in food!
Mr Joseph Sammut
Aug 5th 2011, 10:19
In all probability the people who ate the unaccounted for twistees thought that it must be a new crunchy taste.
Dave Alan Caruana
Aug 5th 2011, 12:17
I actually preferred them ;)
Mr Mario P. Sciberras
Aug 5th 2011, 09:44
Accidents do happen but the alleged handling of the situation by the Company leaves a lot to be desired.
Mr Denis Pace
Aug 5th 2011, 15:21
SUCH accidents should not happen.
God knows what else "falls" into the oven