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NEWS
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 JULY 2024
medicine, pesticide residue in farm meat
icant concern. Field staff did not
receive specific training on resi-
due sampling and were unaware
of targeted sampling concepts
and selection criteria for appro-
priate matrices, as mandated by
EU regulations. This lack of train-
ing resulted in all sampling being
conducted randomly, contrary to
legal requirements.
In response to these findings,
the audit recommended several
corrective actions. These include
improving the timeliness of test
result reporting, enhancing staff
training on targeted sampling, and
establishing a robust mechanism
to identify and address recurrent
non-compliances. The Maltese
authorities were also urged to en-
sure that all sampling and testing
procedures align with EU legis-
lation to guarantee the safety of
food products.
Previous audits
A previous audit in 2020 by
the EC had found several animal
carcasses at Malta's abattoir had
faecal contamination and were
still accepted for cutting in the
slaughterhouse.
It also complained that Mal-
tese veterinary authorities at all
levels were "seriously under-
staffed", which weakened the
effectiveness of official controls
on matters like traceability of
red meat and poultry meat, the
verification of cleanliness in es-
tablishments, and microbiologi-
cal testing of carcasses at slaugh-
terhouses.
The Maltese authorities blamed
the staff shortages on the salary
levels offered to junior veterinar-
ians in the public sector, and the
Maltese language requirement
to qualify for the post.
