EU microbial food safety audits 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.

DG Sante of Slovakia’s audit, 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 that official controls were carried out before the harvest season started and that critical deficiencies in processing plants and sprout production establishments were not detected. There was also a lack of checklists and instructions for inspectors on how to conduct and document areas subject to inspections.

DG Sante said that shortcomings are hardly recorded, and that official reports portray a situation of compliance, which is not always the case.

Key findings and Slovak response
The audit team found that training did not ensure that controls were implemented effectively.

In response, Slovak officials said a training session in late 2023 would include presenting the audit results. Attendees were urged to be more consistent when 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 transition to a new software system called KVEPIS to help schedule inspections starting in January 2025.

SVPS said the use of the provided checklists will be mandatory for all inspectors carrying out 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 the analysis results regarding their own checks were not in accordance with EU rules in terms of frequency.

In the part of the audit on processors, the 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-conformances were noted by the audit team, including widespread condensation on all ceilings immediately above the exposed product ready to be packaged, as well as dust and rust on equipment above the conveyor belts that carry the blanched product ready for packaging was previously undetected.

Auditors also identified significant deficiencies in maintenance and cleaning plans and in the hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) plan.

Malta situation
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 (FNAO), including sprout production, does not fall within the legal scope of official controls as required by EU regulations.

Maltese authorities said FNAO’s primary production regulations will come into force within two months of publication in the Government Gazette at the end of 2024.

As in Slovakia, there were no detailed checklists and instructions for inspectors on how to carry out and document what was subject to checks. The knowledge and expertise of various inspectors in verifying a company’s management of Listeria monocytogenes was also limited.

Officials in Malta said a Listeria training was held in April for all environmental health officers and scientific staff at the Public Health Laboratory. Ongoing sessions will be incorporated into training programs.

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

No official samples of products within the scope of the audit were taken between 2019 and 2023. Some samples were taken in 2023 as part of an investigation into a foodborne outbreak. Microbiological monitoring of ready-to-eat fresh fruits, vegetables and juices was planned in 2024. Analyzing samples for viral contamination and STEC was not suggested.

Malta utilizes the services of various laboratories in Europe for many routine and confirmatory testing procedures. The Public Health Laboratory’s (PHL) accreditation to ISO 17025 was suspended in 2021, leading to a decision to move the laboratory to a more suitable location. A plan for the new PHL will be outlined at the end of 2024.

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