EU audits 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 Sante audit of Slovakia, carried out in September 2023, was the first on the topic of food of non-animal origin (FNAO) and resulted in six recommendations.

Problems included official controls being performed before the harvest season started and critical deficiencies in processing plants and sprout-producing establishments not being found. There was also a lack of checklists and instructions for inspectors on carrying out and documenting areas that have been the subject of controls.

DG Sante said deficiencies are hardly recorded, with official reports portraying a situation of compliance, which is not always the case.

Main findings and Slovakian response
The audit team identified that training did not ensure controls were implemented effectively.

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

SVPS said the use of provided checklists will be mandatory for all inspectors performing official controls at the primary production stage, including sprout growers.

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

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

At a processor of freezing fruit and vegetables, serious non-conformities noted by the audit team, such as widespread condensation on all the ceilings right above the exposed product ready to be packaged, as well as dust and rust on equipment above the conveyor belts transporting the blanched product ready for packing, had previously not been detected.

Auditors also identified significant deficiencies in the maintenance and cleaning plans and in the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan.

Malta situation
The audit of Malta, undertaken in January 2024, was the first one on this topic and resulted in nine recommendations.

Primary food production of non-animal origin (FNAO), including sprouts production, is not included in the legal scope of official controls as required by EU regulation.

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

Similar to findings in Slovakia, there were no detailed checklists and instructions for inspectors on how to carry out and document what has been subject to controls. Several inspectors’ knowledge and expertise in verifying a firm’s management of Listeria monocytogenes was also limited.

Officials in Malta said Listeria training was held for all Environmental Health Officers and Public Health Laboratory scientific staff in April. Ongoing sessions will be included in training programs.

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

Between 2019 and 2023, no official samples were taken of products in the audit’s scope. Some samples were taken in 2023 as part of an investigation into a foodborne outbreak. In 2024, microbiological monitoring of ready-to-eat (RTE) fresh fruit, vegetables, and juices was planned. Analyzing samples for viral contamination and STEC was not proposed.

Malta uses the services of different laboratories in Europe for many routine and confirmatory testing procedures. The Public Health Laboratory (PHL) ‘s accreditation to ISO 17025 was suspended in 2021, leading to a decision to move the lab to a more suitable site. A plan for the new PHL will be outlined by the end of 2024.

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Source: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2024/08/eu-audits-microbial-food-safety-in-slovakia-and-malta/