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 .
https://ehealth.gov.mt/HealthPortal/public_health/environmental-health/department_for_env_health.aspx