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FOUR MTA ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS COMPLETE COURSES
pr1242
23/08/2001
23/08/2001
| Tourism Minister Michael Refalo congratulated four newly-recruited | MTA officers, Ms. Anna Borg, Mr. Nicholas Crockford, Mr. Jonathan Cuschieri and Mr. John Magri, who have successfully completed a course in the Essential Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system. |
| The course run by the Institute of Tourism Studies | for the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health focussed on the HACCP system of self regulation and quality control incatering and food service establishments. The course was part of an overall programme designed for Enforcement Officer training in all aspects of tourism operations which their duties require them to monitor and regulate. |
| Ms. Borg attained further certification in Health and | Safety at Work and inFood Safety through the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene. Both courses were very well managed by the ITS. |
| Minister Refalo said that it was a must that officers | knew as much and possibly even more on the subject of hygiene and food safety control than tourism operators. Although actual control in this area fell within the remit of the Department of Health, it was essential that MTA’s enforcement officers should be given all round training. |
| The Minister warned against over officious and | selective enforcement practices adding that the trade should look upon the officers as friends. |
| "Although in some instances there is no other | remedy but the rod, my advice to you is to primarily influence and educate the trade. If needs be follow and monitor developments patiently until you are satisfied that sufficient improvement has been made." |
| "If however you are convinced that an operator | is unwilling to toe the line, and especially inhealth matters this constitutes an actual threat to therest of the industry and to Malta’s excellent reputation as a "safe" place for eating out, then by all means apply the rod. |
| By the end of this year all regulatory powers | presently held by the Ministry and the Department, through the Hotels and Catering Establishments Board, will be transferred to MTA. Therefore, the greater the need and importance for enforcement officers to receive academic and practical training." |
| The Minister mentioned that later on in the year the | Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association will be holding the third in a series of Seminars to prepare and make the trade more aware of standards and practices called for by EU Directives on Heath and Food Safety. |
| "I urge all restaurant and hotel owners to | attend. It should be an experience for all, and even the most knowledgeable will certainly find something new, of interest and helpful for the successful running of their businesses." |
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