M.V.Wool to relaunch Harku plant
Fish producer M.V.Wool was cleared by the Veterinary and Food Board (VTA) to continue economic activities at the warehouse of its Harku plant. As of Friday, the on-site company store, Mati kalapood, is likewise open for business again. M.V.Wool is expected to resume production at its Harku plant within the next few days, in accordance with a Tallinn Administrative Court ruling.
"As we relaunch production, we will first prepare a test batch and inform the VTA of the results," M.V.Wool supervisory board chairman Meelis Vetevool said. "In accordance with the company's sampling plan, M.V.Wool tests all product batches before sending them to the market to ensure they are clean."
According to Vetevool, the VTA noted in the injunction issued in November that production activities would remain suspended until the ST1247 strain of the Listeria bacteria is eliminated from M.V.Wool's production sites.
"The VTA has been informed of this, and the agency has received confirmation of this on the basis of analyses of samples taken in the course of state supervision," he said. "Both of M.V.Wool's plants, in Harku and Vihterpalu, have complied with this requirement."
The VTA made its decision after 105 surface samples taken from the producer's Harku plant tested clean according to the results of three accredited laboratories and M.V.Wool thereafter applied with the VTA to relaunch its Harku plant.
Tallinn Administrative Court decided on Thursday to approve M.V.Wool's application for additional interim relief. The court-designated interim relief does not extend to those products the handling of which is prohibited in accordance with the injunction issued on November 25 and for which the court refused to grant interim relief, such as cold-smoked and salted fish products produced prior to the issuing of the injunction.
From November 26-December 19 last year, M.V.Wool carried out a deep cleaning of its Harku fish plant, logistics center and on-site company store. All 70 samples and 35 duplicate samples from its work surfaces, equipment, floors, drain covers and elsewhere in the framework of state supervision were free of Listeria, which indicates that the cleaning was effective. This fulfilled the condition set out in the VTA's injunction.
M.V.Wool's Vihterpalu plant was relaunched on January 2 following a deep clean. The Vihterpalu plant is responsible for the production of salted herring, cold- and hot-smoked herring and other fish products, herring in various sauces as well as marinated products. Salmon and trout products are produced at the company's Harku plant.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
