Crops from fields close to the Marsascala recycling plant were tested for contamination after a massive fire there in May but the authorities insist that the analysis is ongoing.

The Health Ministry confirmed the area around the Sant’Antnin plant has been monitored since the incident, when bales of plastic and paper waste caught fire.

“A number of crop samples from the vicinity were taken by the Environmental Health Directorate, and results are continuing to be analysed,” said a ministry spokeswoman. A request to see the results of tests done so far was not entertained.

Residents who witnessed first-hand the immediate fallout of the thick plume of black smoke have expressed concern over the risk of contamination nearby.

The Food Safety Commission back in May recommended that people should wash fruits and vegetables before consumption.

The spokeswoman said the Food Safety Commission was also coordinating the development of a risk-assessment report.

“This will be discussed as soon as it is finalised,” she added.

The fire that engulfed part of the plant took almost 24 hours to control, with the ministry having appealed to people to remain indoors and keep their windows closed. The toxic emissions were described as a mixture of gases, chemicals and fine particles.

Until very recently, white smoke was still seen coming from the piles of burnt waste that had been doused by firefighters.

The main shed was completely destroyed by the fire, which according to the Civil Protection Department, produced temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius, enough to burn metal.

It was only in the past couple of weeks that the wreckage of the main shed was dismantled, pending clearance from the magistrate carrying out an inquiry into the incident.

The plant was inaugurated in 2010 after a €27 million project that replaced a recycling facility already on site. The government has pledged to close down the facility over a seven-year span.