Apologies if you’ve just been put off eating for the foreseeable future.
The presence of a live rodent in an open section of a wall cavity, human excrement overflowing from a food workers’ toilet and dried blood on surfaces were amongst the reasons for the closure of Irish food businesses in January.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) this week reported that four closure orders were served on Irish food businesses in January for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010.
The Enforcement Orders were issued by environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Details in the enforcement orders reveal that Lamar & Bread Limited (manufacturer) in Midleton in Cork was issued with a closure order due to the presence of a live rodent in an open section of a wall cavity, which poses serious risks of contamination with pathogenic bacteria such as rodent droppings.
A closure order was also issued to Lam Inn (take away), on South Circular Road, Dolphins Barn, Dublin 8 due to human excrement overflowing from the food workers’ toilet while the kitchen was in operation.
Amongst the reasons for the issuing of a closure order to Colm Leavy Butchers in Sandyford in Dublin, meanwhile, was “a significant build-up of dirt and dried blood on surfaces and equipment throughout the premises presenting an unacceptable risk of contamination”.
Commenting on the Enforcement Orders served in January, Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, stated that food businesses must prioritise food safety requirements to ensure the food they are serving is safe to eat.
“It is not acceptable that consumers’ or food workers’ health is compromised by inadequate food safety practices in a food business,” Byrne said.
“The legal responsibility for producing safe food lies firmly with food businesses. Food businesses must pay close attention to hygiene standards throughout their entire business operation and ensure that the food they sell to consumers is safe to eat.
“Food businesses run the risk of making their customers sick through contaminated food and ruining their reputation with consumers and within the industry by neglecting basic food safety management and hygiene standards. Non-compliances are not tolerated and breaches of food safety legislation are dealt with to the full extent of food law.”
“If any food business owner is unsure of what is required of them by law, they can contact the FSAI advice line at [email protected] or visit its website or Facebook page,” said Dr Byrne.
Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAI’s website.
Closure Orders and Improvement Orders will remain listed on the website for a period of three months from the date of when a premises is adjudged to have corrected its food safety issue, with Prohibition Orders being listed for a period of one month.
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