The allocation of food under the EU aid scheme should be done according to transparent criteria that did not depend on a person's skin colour or nationality, MEP Simon Busuttil said.
He expressed concern over a decision to first distribute food that was in short supply, such as milk and yoghurt, to Maltese before immigrants.
"Poverty affects people the same way and it shouldn't matter whether a person has black or white skin or if the person is Maltese or not. The criteria for food distribution need to be transparent and objective," Dr Busuttil said during a visit to the YMCA drop-in centre in Valletta.
He was reacting to recent complaints made by Fr Dionysius Mintoff - founder of the Peace Lab in Ħal Far that houses immigrants - who claimed the distribution of food in Malta discriminated against immigrants.
The food aid scheme redistributes to people in need throughout the EU food that ends up being surplus under the common agricultural policy.
In Malta it is managed by YMCA that hands out food to parishes and NGOs that then distribute it to those who are eligible.
Fr Mintoff said he was informed by the YMCA that the Peace Lab was eligible for food under the scheme so he went to collect the dairy products. There he was informed that, following a directive issued by the Resources Ministry, milk and yoghurt would not be distributed to immigrants.
A YMCA spokesman explained that some foodstuffs, including dairy products, were available in limited supply so the ministry decided to limit the beneficiaries. The Peace Lab, he said, was still eligible to other products, such as jam and sugar.
A ministry spokesman explained it had decided to limit the beneficiaries with regard to products in limited supplies but denied ever saying immigrants should be left for last.
"People who present a social security certificate, orphanages and other institutions that care for those unable to look after themselves are given precedence," the spokesman said.
Dr Busuttil called for more transparent criteria that would ensure food was distributed to those most in need irrespective of their nationality.
YMCA food aid scheme coordinator, Roberta Grech, said YMCA also asked for such criteria. However, until then, they had to abide by the ministry's decision.