Government's plans to overhaul abattoir

Government is acting on a Lm400,000 plan to improve the structure and procedures in practice at the Civil Abattoir in Marsa, sources told The Sunday Times. It is expected that the major part of the works will be concluded by April.

The news comes following a report, which was leaked to the media recently, drawn up during an internal auditing exercise, commissioned by the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment and conducted by foreign veterinary experts.

Sources said action includes the recruitment of a quality controller and a traceability system which covers the whole process - from the intake of animals for slaughter to dispatch - linked to a system of identification and registration of livestock, ensuring that all meat is labelled accordingly.

Sources said that, being the only red meat slaughterhouse in Malta, the abattoir requires regular upgrading and maintenance. The reason for the commissioning of the audit report was precisely to identify the issues that needed to be addressed, including animal welfare practices, hygiene standards, and structural and procedural improvements.

Since 2000 almost Lm1.6 million has been invested in the modernisation of the Civil Abattoir, with Lm1 million invested over the past three years.

It is believed that the fact that the Civil Abattoir used to be approved by the chief veterinary officer who was at the same time operator of the premises was not a good practice. "The separation between abattoir regulations and operations - a move which the ministry had been recommending - has been key to addressing certain problems registered at the abattoir," the sources said.

The set-up has been amended with the nomination of a director-general for veterinary affairs and fisheries as operator of the slaughterhouse. The move received the thumbs up in a Food and Veterinary Office mission report.

Last October, the European Union's Food and Veterinary Office conducted the first full scale audit at the Civil Abattoir since Malta joined the EU. The report is separate from the one commissioned by the ministry.

"Guarantees were immediately given that the deficiencies identified during this visit will be addressed as soon as possible. Furthermore, a detailed action plan specifically drawn up to address veterinary controls and structural shortcomings within definite timeframes was submitted and accepted by the European Commission.

A foreign veterinary consultant and abattoir engineer, who were contracted by the Ministry prior to FVO's visit, assisted in the preparation of an independent assessment of the structural and operational aspects of the abattoir and the finalisation of the plan."

The plan is to slaughter cattle on the bovine line and sows/boars and pigs and sheep/goats on the swine line on separate days. Adjustments of the lairages and stunning equipment and areas are also being made.

A colour-coded system for the different hygiene status of the areas is also being identified to distinguish the personnel working in the clean and dirty parts to limit and control their movements during the slaughtering and prevent cross-contamination between the carcasses.

In agreement with the Association of General Retailers and Traders, which represents the middlemen, and the farmers' co-operatives, it has been established that unofficial personnel will not be allowed access to the slaughter lines.

Sources said, apart from the ongoing training in animal handling for staff, a substantial part of the action plan addresses animal welfare concerns to eliminate the current difficulties faced in the movement of cattle to the stunning area.

Talks are also under way to improve practices during animal transportation and offloading, prior to slaughter and for the sale of meat. Hydraulic ramps for the unloading of animals will also be installed.

The existing swine stunning is being upgraded and will be used until it is replaced by a new and more welfare-friendly stunning system. The lairage of the bovine slaughter line will be reconstructed with pens that allow one-way movement to the stunning box/area.