In spite of all the promises, abattoir still a hygiene disaster, warns EU

The report says that mandatory examinations for the Trichinella parasite in pigs and horses have not been carried out in the past two years. Humans can get infected by this dangerous parasite when they eat raw or undercooked infected pork. The disease can be fatal if the parasite enters the central nervous system.

Subsequently to the report, the Maltese government informed the FVO that the required sampling and testing for Trichinella was implemented for pigs in January 2010, and for horses in March 2010.

In their reply to the report, the Maltese authorities announced a number of corrective actions with regards to the situation in the Civil Abattoir.

But the accusations by the FVO are serious: the inspection carried out in December 2009 revealed that persons not employed by the authorities were entering and leaving the slaughter hall in their private clothes and were even trimming carcasses after the post-mortem inspection.

Farmers were also present in a technical room opening directly to the bovine slaughter hall.

The slaughter house was also not sufficiently protected against the entry of pests and doors were left open to the exterior.

Carcasses were being placed directly on the floor of a truck while others were seen touching floors and walls.

The unit used for emergency slaughter was not pest-proof and some old rusty equipment was still in place.

Hygiene among butchers in the cutting plant was deemed very poor to the extent that mobile phones were used during the cutting and hand-wash facilities was not regularly used. Butchers even used their own knives and none of the sterilizing boxes were in operation. Cut meat was also placed directly on the floor of a truck.

According to the inspectors “faecal contamination, hair and skin remained on the hind legs” of one of the slaughtered bovines. For pigs the situation was slightly better but not satisfactory as bristles were found in carcasses in the chiller.

Microbiological control of surfaces and equipment was not carried out in slaughter house and the cutting plant. “In the slaughter house no samples were taken for microbiological examinations of carcasses for one year,” the report states.

According to the report small ruminants and horses are still being slaughtered in the non-approved emergency slaughter facility, which does not provide conditions compliant with the EU requirements.

The inspection was carried out from 7 to 11 December 2009 in order to evaluate the follow-up action taken by the competent authorities with regard to official controls related to the safety of food of animal origin, in particular meat, milk and their products.

In their reply to the report, the Maltese authorities announced a number of corrective actions with regards to the situation in the Civil Abattoir. A Code of Practice for Meat was also developed to help operators implement measures in order to keep up hygiene standards during their activities.

A report issued by FVO two years ago, had already denounced a number deficiencies in hygiene requirements in the red meat slaughterhouse. “There were insects in the slaughter hall and two cats in the dispatch area and corridors due to the existence of holes in the walls,” the report claimed.

Following the 2007 inspection, the Maltese authorities embarked on follow-up action with €2 million invested to improve standards in the abattoir.