The law on food handling for public consumption
What seems to be exercising many people is not the danger to democracy and the separation of powers of having the police in the police minister’s pocket, cooking and serving food at his banquets, but whether the police officers concerned broke the law by not having a food handler’s certificate.
So I shall acquiesce and highlight this apparent major concern, though if we are going to worry about it, we should be worrying about the fact that the Police Commissioner and the Police Minister were content to break the law themselves, rather than worrying about whether 300 EBU delegates were going to get food poisoning (though that too, of course).
Here is the relevant law:
(1) No person shall act as a food handler without registering as such with the Food Safety Commission.
(2) No person shall employ any food handlers in any food business who are not registered with the Food Safety Commission and are in possession of a current registration document.
LEGAL NOTICE 178 of 2001, as amended by Legal Notices 137 and 426 of 2007.
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How nice and convenient for me. Now I can find a summer job, waitressing, without having to spend money on the food handler’s course.
Indeed, were you to be prosecuted you could claim discrimination.
I know of many waiters and waitresses without the food handling course, who often work without registering with the appropriate authorities.
How can a police officer book a festa hot dog vendor for operating without a licence?
What will the environmental health directorate do now?
Health inspectors take people to court if they are working without a valid food handlers course.
That is the tip of the iceberg.
There is the Food Safety Act
The Hygiene of Food Regulations
EU Reg 852 of 2004
And truckloads of other regulations made under the above with respect to production of food.
Are Tony Zahra and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) going to keep mum on this? They know best what such a business entails with respect to standards and precautions.
Tony Zahra and the MHRA’s main concern is that Joseph Muscat reduces electricity tariffs. There is no way that they are going to jeopardise that.
And a reduction of VAT down to 5%.
Minister not aware of these laws – knows criminal law.
I wonder if the cook is a relative, constituent or friend of the Minister. Who was the purchasing officer buying the food? Where did the money come from – petty cash?
The law quoted is part of the criminal law. He should know better.
Registering for a job in the catering industry requires a “free from infections” certificate from a Medical Practitioner and an x-ray of the chest.
I’m not sure if acting as a waiter qualifies as actually “handling food” under these regulations.
It’s possible that “food handling” refers to the act of preparing food ie the activities carried out in the kitchen.
Either way, the situation would be funny, were it not so tragic.
@redneck rabti – when my son started a summer job as a waiter, yes he had to undergo a food handing course and also an intense medical examination. He never handled food because he was just a waiter but he did have to do the course yes.
I found this comment on Face book and would like to share it with you:
P.O.L.I.C.E : People Officially Licensed In Catering Events.
Let us remember that it was during Lorry Sant’s reign of terror that the police corps was ordered about by the ministers.
Just 120 days and we have gone back 30 years in this respect.
That was quite smart, wasn’t it, to oust Lawrence Gonzi. Our new ‘rulers’ are a collection of peasants and slave-drivers (literally) and yet we’re happy because we are hip and progressive. Jahasra.
Tony Zahra would not open his mouth on this one as he is to much of a chicken to upset the PL, but I expect Robert Arrigo to make a statement about this sorry state of affairs. He’s is the Opposition spokesman for tourism, which includes catering services.
Ma tahsbux li tal-Labour jistghu kollox? Allura mhux facli jgibilhom din l-imbierka ta’ registration?
Waqqfu qorti u zammew ligijiet biex jaghmlu li jridu ghageb ghax jirrangalhom biex ikunu registrati?
Imma l-kwistjoni kollha mhux din ghalkemm hi importanti wkoll.
X’bicca hobz tilfu Island Caterers.
I am of the opinion that the the members of the EBU should be informed and asked for their comments re standard of the food served and the service provided.
Moreover they should be informed that the cooks/waiters who provided this service are full-time police officers. Deja vu of the notorious Mintoffian era, u miskina Malta.
I wonder what the Police Association has to say about all this. After all the fuss they kicked up under the previous administration due to late overtime payments, one would have expected a statement… even if only to bolster M&M’s (isn’t that what he looks like?!) ridiculous argument about the Police “volunteering”
I would also have expected Peter Paul Zammit to support his Minister and likewise confirm the voluntariness of those members of the Force who appear to have made a wrong career choice in deciding to become law enforcers, when in actual fact they were caterers true and true – instead of attending the Police Academy it ought to have been ITS instead, alas!
I am immensely befuddled, amazed and fascinated by M&M’s behaviour. It really is boggling my mind as he was the one I expected the least FU’s from and instead it’s the other way round, which is all very surprising really considering the other lame ducks this legislature has brought in.