Food Authority issues seven closure orders for food businesses in March

They also issued one prosecution in February.

The Orders were made for breaches of food safety legislation, per the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020. 

These were issued by the Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE) and by officers of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).

Five Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:

• China Palace (Date served: 26/03/2025/ Date lifted: (01/04/2025), 11 Main Street, Roscommon

• Stela Foods (Date served: 19/03/2025), Unit 2, Greenhills Business Park, Drogheda, Louth

• Yomari Foods Ltd (Date served: 19/03/2025/ Date lifted: 21/03/2025), Main Street, Boyle, Roscommon

• Stela Food Stores (Date served: 13/03/2025), (Closed Area: Closure of Stela Food Stores building (excluding the three 40 foot fixed containers and one 40 foot container attached to mobile trailer outside the building), Unit 8, Ringwood Centre, Damastown Close, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15

• Republic of Grill (Date served: 09/03/2025/ Date lifted: 13/03/2025), Wickham Way Market, Wickham Street, Limerick

Two Closure Orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:

• Eddie Rockets (Date served: 26/03/2025/ Date lifted: 31/03/2025), Point Village, East Wall Road, Dublin 1

• PY Fast Food Food Stall (Date served: 10/03/2025/ Date lifted: 21/03/2025), Trading on Moore Street, Dublin 1

Separately, during the month of February one prosecution was taken by the Health Service Executive in relation to:

• Baltic Market (Date of hearing: 18/02/2025 / Date of offence: 26/07/2024), 2 Dominic Street, Drogheda, Louth

Among the reasons for the Enforcement Orders in March were: food business not registered or approved by a competent authority; evidence of rodent infestation; a dead rat in a trap and rat droppings behind a washing machine; multiple fresh rodent droppings throughout the kitchen area, wash-up area and cleaning equipment storage area; live mice in the warehouse and an office.

Other reasons included no hot water in the wash hand basin provided for food handlers; food premises and food contact equipment not maintained in a clean condition; drain outside a kitchen completely blocked with foul wastewater and food debris overflowing throughout a yard; failure by staff to demonstrate any knowledge of food safety management procedures; no food allergen information available for customers.

Mr Greg Dempsey, Chief Executive, FSAI, stated the importance of all businesses complying with the regulations.

He said: "Enforcement Orders, particularly Closure Orders and Prohibition Orders, are only served where there is a serious and immediate risk to consumer health, or where there are persistent and significant breaches of food law, and not for minor infractions.

"In many of the Closure Orders issued this month, there was a clear absence of the most basic food safety procedures, alongside high levels of pest activity and poor hygiene standards. Staff working in food businesses must be trained and/or supervised, so that they can carry out their work in line with food safety requirements.

"It is essential that all food businesses implement and maintain a robust food safety management system to prevent such violations.

"There can be no excuse for putting consumers’ health at risk through negligent practices and failing to comply with the legal requirements."