Dead mouse found in strawberries among thousands of Irish food safety complaints

Make sure you're not eating for this one.

The FSAI report, which released this week, revealed that a total of 4,395 food hygiene complaints were made to their Advice Line in 2023.

The number of complaints was a significant 8.3% increase on figures from 2022, which saw 4,058 complaints made, continuing an upward trend over the last few years.

31.9% of complaints in 2023 related to poor hygiene standards, 27.2% to unfit food and 26.7% to suspected food poisoning.

The most frequently reported complaints involved poor hygiene standards, which included the likes of staff not having hair covered during food preparation, toilets being dirty, overflowing bins and rodents spotted.

Dead mouse found in strawberries among thousands of Irish food hygiene complaints

The second highest complaints during 2023 related to food deemed unsafe to eat.

Some of the shocking examples included the likes of an insect found in instant noodles, a snail found in coleslaw and a dead mouse found in punnet of strawberries.

Other examples included a stone found in black pudding; mould in prepacked rice bag; piece of bone found in a chocolate bar; worms in frozen dumplings; piece of plastic inside a pepper; part of a latex glove found in bag of spinach; a shard of glass in a loaf of bread; metal shaving in takeaway noodles; and a metal pin in a prepacked salad.

The third most frequently reported food safety category related to reports of suspected food poisoning, with chicken, beef, fish and shellfish as the most common foods mentioned in the complaint.

Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive of the FSAI, released a statement encouraging making complaints to address food safety issues.

“Our online complaint form continues to be a valuable resource enabling the public to contact us with their food safety complaints," said Dr Byrne.

"It is crucial for food establishments to maintain high standards of food safety practices, and reports made by the public greatly assist Environmental Health Officers, veterinary and agricultural inspectors, sea-fisheries inspection officers, and laboratory staff in their work.

"While routine inspections are carried out regularly, reports from the public help to identify specific issues, ensuring swift identification of potential threats to public health.

"The increase in complaints reflects a growing awareness among the public of their right to safe food and the importance of high standards of food safety and hygiene.

"We encourage anyone who observes poor hygiene or food safety practices to promptly report it to FSAI for thorough investigation by the relevant authorities."

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