The Ministry of Health (Minsa) reported that it will continue with these types of health surveillance operations throughout the region with the aim of ensuring that food production and distribution establishments comply with the established safety, hygiene, and health control regulations. During the inspection of processed products, they lacked their respective Health Records, yet they were being distributed to various commercial establishments in the region. The inspection technical team also corroborated serious insanitary conditions, including a lack of hygiene in processing and storage areas, the presence of weeds, pigeon droppings, insects, and rodents. Approximately three tons of products, including pre-processed dough and ready-to-eat items (breads and pastries), were seized by the Ministry of Health (Minsa) from a bakery products distributor in the province of West Panama. Officials visited this distributor following several complaints about its operation without the required health license and Plant Certification mandated by Minsa regulations. The seized products include reprocessed dough and ready-to-eat items, such as breads and pastries without a production or expiration date, all of which were sent to a sanitary landfill. In addition to dirty equipment, deteriorated structures, contaminated rags, and unpleasant odors, there was an absence of production records to guarantee the traceability and safety of the products. The seizure was carried out following an inspection by personnel from the Department of Environmental Sanitation and the National Directorate of Food Control and Veterinary Surveillance (DNCAVV) of Minsa in this province.
Panama's Health Seizes Three Tons of Unsafe Food Products
Panama's Health Ministry seized nearly three tons of products, including dough and baked goods, from a distributor due to missing health permits and unsanitary conditions.
