ROMA (ITALPRESS) – In the period between 19 February and 22 March, Carabinieri for Health Protection (NAS) conducted an extraordinary campaign of inspections on hospital canteens and health services, aimed at verifying compliance with hygiene and health regulations and food safety within patient facilities. In the course of the inspection activity, 558 structures have been controlled altogether throughout the national territory, of which 525 operate in the field of collective catering and 31 afferent directly to the healthcare sector. The investigations highlighted 238 non-compliant structures, equal to 42.7% of the total, confirming a significant criticality level in the sector, with over four out of ten structures not in line with the expected standards. The main irregularities involved hygienic-sanitary deficiencies in food preparation and storage premises, structural and maintenance issues, inadequate application of self-control procedures (HACCP), and irregularities in the management and conservation of foodstuffs, with particular attention to special diets for vulnerable subjects.
A number of measures have been taken during the inspections, including immediate suspension of activities in the presence of health risk situations, targeted interference of specific production lines, administrative sanctions, complaints to the Judiciary Authority and seizure of foods not suitable for consumption, as well as the imposition of corrective prescriptions to the operators. Among the most important interventions are: in Taranto, the interdiction of the production of meals for celiacs due to the absence of dedicated spaces and equipment and for sanitary-structural deficiencies; in Naples and Brescia, the immediate suspension of the activity of two hospital canteens both for severe hygienic conditions and insect infestation, with the injection of administrative sanctions; in Salerno, the feedback of microbiological contamination (enterobacteria and coliforms) on trays intended for the distribution of meals, with consequent corrective prescriptions; in Catania, the complaint of the person responsible for the preparation of meals and the seizure of about 60 kg of food in bad state of conservation; in Parma, the ascertainment of widespread hygienic-structural deficiencies in the premises of storage drinks.
– photo screenshot video Carabinieri –
(ITALPRESS).
