(Hai Pa) - The Ministry of Health decided on Sunday 01/09/24 to partially cancel the administrative suspension order given to the "Shelah Yazmat Ltd" food storage and cooling house in Haifa.
The Ministry of Health informed Hai Pa News Corporation:
Partial cancellation of an administrative cease order for the business "Shelach Enterprises Ltd", Halluti Ha-Izai 112 Haifa. On 20/08/2024 I issued the administrative cease order on all the activities of the business "Shelah Enterprises Ltd". After a hearing that I held for you on 22/8/24, I determined that I would consider a partial cancellation of the order, which would allow the distribution of dry food
and frozen food for kindergartens, after holding a repeat audit in the business. A condition for the existence of a repeated audit is the condition that you comply with the established conditions.
After we received the required information and data from you, a repeat audit of the business took place today, 1/9/24. In view of its findings and the commitments of the business from 27/8/24 and from 29/8/24 I decided on the partial cancellation of the administrative suspension order for the following activity in the business: storage and marketing of dry, chilled prepackaged food products (such as (frozen) dairy products such as meat , fish, vegetables, pastries) this is subject to:
- Management and storage of all documents related to business activity in accordance with legislative and system requirements
HACCP. - Use of an egg cooling room will be done only after the completion of its training for food storage (ventilation, smell of paint
existing in place). - Work flow with vegetables as approved in the business plan.
It will be emphasized that the order is still in effect regarding the activity of storing and marketing ready-made food portions (catering) in the business.
It will also be clarified that your work is in accordance with the requirements, including with regard to maintaining a food safety system and managing and maintaining
Traceability will be checked in the following audits, and if it turns out that they do not exist, I will consider going back and expanding the order to the whole
the activity of the business. The partial cancellation of this order does not constitute our approval for a business license and/or storage license. Working without required licenses and permits is against the law.
The main points of the administrative suspension order provided by the Ministry of Health to Haifa News Corporation:
I would like to inform you that by virtue of my authority according to section 20 of the Business Licensing Law 1968 (hereinafter: "Licensing Law
Businesses" (I hereby issue an administrative stop order (closure order), commanding you and/or any other person acting on behalf of the business, to immediately stop the operation of the cold store and food warehouse "Shelach Yezamot" under your management).
As part of the order, the business must be closed without bringing in and taking out goods, including the immediate cessation of food transportation and delivery, and any other activity within the business. I am issuing the administrative stop order due to the findings of the audit conducted in this business on 18/8/24 by food inspectors at the district health bureau. The audit was conducted following a suspicion of listeria morbidity in the elderly from a nursing facility in the central region that originated from food that, among other things, was stored, and/or transported and/or supplied at your business, transported to the facility in the refrigerated vehicles of the business and supplied by you. In this audit, many serious deficiencies were found, which are detailed in the audit report with references (RAZV) and which constitute an immediate danger to public health.
Given the nature of the deficiencies, their severity, the scope of the morbidity, the fact that you supply food to a particularly sensitive population; Elderly people in nursing institutions, children in kindergartens and day care centers, as well as the improper conduct of the business over the years, which led to your being summoned to 3 previous hearings and to the issuance of an administrative cease and desist order in 2017 and the cancellation of the storage license and the approval of the Ministry of Health for a business license in 2022, your work in violation of the law and sanitary conditions poor while violating requirements designed to ensure food safety, I decided to issue the order before a hearing.
The main essential deficiencies found in the aforementioned audit are:
- The source of ready-to-eat food (catering) that is provided to nursing homes is unknown, no certificates were presented indicating the source of the food.
- Storage of ready-to-eat food in the area designated for storing raw vegetables.
- Non-existence of a continuous record of the temperature of cold rooms. Failure to keep records of the temperature of refrigeration and freezing rooms in the business, as required by the Business Licensing Regulations Sanitary Conditions for Food Production Businesses 1972.
- Failure to have a food safety system (HACCP) as required by the Public Health Protection (Food) Law, 2015.
- Management and traceability are not carried out as required by law.
- Poor infrastructure and sanitation conditions in the storage rooms in the business, including a cold room for storing prepared food, carrying out renovations (such as painting walls) near the food.
- The business operates without a storage license and without a business license as required by law.
The audit report dated 18/8/24 of the Ministry of Defense as an integral part of this order. The applicability of this order is immediate. The business must be closed without any activity from the moment this order is received. This order was issued after consultation with Attorney Shiri Ben Ari, the legal advisor. Pursuant to section 22 of the law, you may request the cancellation of this order from the Magistrate's Court or from a local affairs court which is authorized to cancel the order or approve it, with or without changes. Submission of the request You will not delay the execution of the order, as long as the court has not decided otherwise.
According to section 25 of the law, those who do not comply with a cease and desist order are sentenced to imprisonment for a period of up to 18 months. In accordance with section 24 of the law, I order the Israel Police to take the necessary measures to ensure compliance with the instructions of the order and to bring about the immediate cessation of the aforementioned business.
In accordance with section 21 of the law, this order will remain valid for up to 30 days, but I may request an extension from the Magistrate's Court or the Local Affairs Court, which may extend the validity of the order without a time limit. Submitting a request to the court as mentioned will extend the validity of the order by 7 days.