EU checks microbial food safety in Slovakia and Malta

The European Commission’s Health and Safety Unit has published two reports on improving microbial food safety in Slovakia and Malta.

The DG Santé audit of Slovakia, carried out in September 2023, was the first on the topic of foods of non-animal origin (FAO) and resulted in six recommendations.

Issues included official controls carried out before the start of the harvest season and the failure to identify critical deficiencies in processing plants and sprout production facilities. There was also a lack of checklists and instructions for inspectors on how to carry out and document the areas checked.

DG Santé said that breaches are rarely recorded, with official reports describing a situation of compliance, which is not always the case.

Main results and response from Slovakia
The audit team found that training did not ensure effective implementation of controls.

In response, Slovak officials said a training session in late 2023 would include a presentation of the audit results. Participants were urged to be more consistent in planning controls to ensure inspections are carried out at all stages of food production. The State Veterinary and Food Administration (SVPS) is also preparing to switch to a new software system called KVEPIS to help with inspection planning starting in January 2025.

SVPS stated that the use of the checklists provided will be mandatory for all inspectors carrying out official controls at the primary production stage, including sprout producers.

For packers, most of the official reports reviewed by the audit team did not contain any non-conformities. At one sprout producer, inspectors did not realise that the analytical results related to internal controls in terms of frequency were not in line with EU rules.

In the part of the audit focusing on processors, auditors found that not all inspectors were aware of the environmental control measures for Listeria monocytogenes that companies must implement.

At a frozen fruit and vegetable processor, serious non-conformities noted by the audit team, such as widespread condensation on all ceilings just above the exposed product ready for packaging, as well as dust and rust on equipment above the conveyor belts transporting the blanched product ready for packaging, had previously gone undetected.

The auditors also identified significant deficiencies in the maintenance and cleaning plans as well as in the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan.

Situation in Malta
The Malta audit, carried out in January 2024, was the first on this subject and resulted in nine recommendations.

Primary food production of non-animal origin (FAAN), including the production of sprouted seeds, is not included in the legal scope of official controls required by EU regulations.

Maltese authorities have said that the regulations covering primary production of FNAO will come into force within two months of their publication in the Official Gazette by the end of 2024.

As in Slovakia, inspectors were not provided with checklists or detailed instructions on how to carry out and document the checks. The knowledge and expertise of several inspectors in verifying a company’s management of Listeria monocytogenes was also limited.

Maltese authorities reported that Listeria training was provided in April to all environmental health officers and scientific staff in public health laboratories. Ongoing sessions will be included in the training programmes.

At the time of the audit, the Health Inspection System checklist was being phased out and the new, more detailed Online Inspection Solution checklist was being rolled out. This process is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

Between 2019 and 2023, no official sampling was carried out on the products concerned by the audit. Some sampling was carried out in 2023 as part of an investigation into a foodborne outbreak. In 2024, microbiological monitoring of ready-to-eat (RTE) fruits, vegetables and fresh juices was planned. Analysis of samples for viral contamination and STEC was not proposed.

Malta relies on the services of various European laboratories for many routine and confirmatory testing procedures. The accreditation of the Public Health Laboratory (PHL) under ISO 17025 was suspended in 2021, leading to the decision to relocate the laboratory to a more suitable location. A plan for the new PHL will be defined by the end of 2024.

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