Food in Malta

Malta's food supply comes from local farmers, fishers, aquaculture producers, livestock and food businesses, together with retail, markets, restaurants, cafés, bakeries and take-away outlets. Because Malta has limited agricultural land and depends heavily on imports, shipping, external shocks and supply-chain conditions can affect availability and prices. Local production includes fruit, vegetables, dairy products, meat, honey and fish. The Pitkalija, also known as the Agricultural Marketing Centre at Ta' Qali, and the Ta' Qali Farmers' Market connect local producers with buyers. Farmers, hawkers, sales agents and businesses also sell through direct channels. Regulated Pitkalija and Malta Food Agency channels can help identify locally marketed produce, but product origin and quality still depend on the specific seller and product information. Maltese food has Mediterranean characteristics and reflects strong influences from Sicily, Italy and North Africa. Common foods include bread, olive oil, cheese, honey, soups, pasta and potato dishes, meat and fish. Pastizzi commonly contain ricotta or peas. Other established foods include qassatat, hobż tal-Malti, soppa tal-armla, minestra, stuffat tal-fenek, braġjoli, timpana, lampuki and imqaret. Ġbejna is a traditional cheese made in several forms: friska, niexfa and tal-bżar. Ġbejna tan-nagħaġ received European Union Protected Designation of Origin status on 27 January 2025, and its complete production takes place on the Maltese Islands. Gozo has its own product and dish names, including Ftira Għawdxija or Ftira Għawdex. Malta and Gozo do not have separate food-safety systems; national rules apply across the islands. The Food Safety and Security Authority, abbreviated as FSSA, is Malta's national authority for food safety, supply-chain security, official controls, licences, certificates, registers, audits, testing, traceability and crisis preparedness under the Food Safety and Security Authority Act 2025, Cap. 649. The Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Supply sets policy. The Malta Food Agency supports agricultural marketing centres and local producer and direct-marketing channels. Food businesses must meet requirements covering hygiene, registration, permits, records, traceability, labelling, temperature control and official checks. Food premises registration is formally required, but registration alone does not grant an operating licence. The FSSA carries out inspections, risk assessments, sampling and surveillance. Traders importing food into Malta must follow entry and compliance rules; the 2026 FSSA guidance requires trader registration and advance notification at least 48 hours before importation into Malta, including consignments originating in the European Union. Consumers should receive safe, traceable and correctly labelled food. For unpackaged food, allergen, price and product information must be available through the applicable seller or outlet. Restaurants, cafés, bakeries, markets and take-away businesses offer both traditional dishes and foods using local ingredients, but prices, portions and quality vary by product, location, season and business. There is no universal price for a meal or a basket of food in Malta. The National Statistics Office measures food prices through the Retail Price Index food category, which includes restaurants and take-aways. In December 2025, food made the largest positive contribution to inflation at 0.77 percentage points, driven mainly by take-away prices. Household Budgetary Survey data also support expenditure analysis; the 2024 survey covered 52 weeks and approximately 7,000 households. The Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate, abbreviated as HPDP, publishes general nutrition guidance. The Maltese Dietary Recommendations and the Healthy Plate approach cover adults aged 19 to 65, while separate guidance exists for children aged 3 to 12, pregnancy and older people. The guidance addresses Mediterranean eating patterns, portions, food groups, salt, sugar and highly processed foods. Individual diagnosis or therapeutic nutrition belongs to healthcare rather than general food guidance. Malta's Strategy for Resilient Food Systems 2025–2034 addresses local production, resilient supply, food culture, nutrition, biodiversity, organic farming and protection of fish stocks. The National Action Plan for Organic Food 2023–2030 supports the organic-food system. The Environment and Resources Authority's Food Waste Prevention Programme covers prevention across the food chain, donation and redistribution, training and innovation. These measures matter particularly because Malta combines a high import dependence with limited land and other scarce resources.