Food Safety Crackdown: 60 Fines Issued Ahead of Festive Season

Ahead of the year-end celebrations, health inspectors are launching an intensive control operation to safeguard public health, following a period where 60 contraventions for breaches of the Food Act have already been issued.

Immediate Action

The heightened presence of the sanitary inspectorate (or ‘health inspectorate’) is being rolled out immediately, focusing on markets, crowded areas, and streets busy with itinerant vendors, where consumer traffic and food demand increase significantly over the festive season.

Authorities have issued a strict warning that no shortcomings will be tolerated. Vendors operating without the necessary permits or failing to comply with hygiene standards will be fined immediately.

Infringement Data

The move comes after data covering January to October revealed a high number of food safety breaches. In total, 60 contraventions were issued under the Food Act during this period.

The majority of these fines related to serious offences, including:

• The sale of food unfit for consumption.
• The presence of foreign bodies in food products.
• Items displaying signs of contamination that could lead to poisoning.

In addition to the fines, inspectors also issued eight ‘prohibition orders’ and 465 ‘improvement notices’ over the same ten months.

Enforcement Powers and Public Appeal

Inspectors have the power to issue warnings, impose bans, or carry out emergency closures depending on the severity of the breaches found.

The clear objective of this campaign is to protect consumers and prevent any health risks at a time when food demand is at its peak. Authorities are also urging the public to exercise caution.

Source: Defi Media