“They have a duty of care to their customers to serve food that is safe to eat. There is no excuse for bad practice.”
10 Irish businesses were served with food closure orders in January, according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
The affected businesses are located in Meath, Dublin, Limerick, Offaly and Kildare.
The food businesses were issued with closure orders for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010.
Five Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
- Sabore Nordetino Dublin (Restaurant/Café), Moore Street Mall, 58 – 66 Parnell Street, Dublin 1
- Indias Taste (Take Away), Bridgewater Hall, 17 – 19 Summerhill Parade, Dublin 1
- King’s Chinese Take Away, Main Street, Daingean, Offaly
- Orient Express (Take Away), Main Street, Bruree, Limerick
- The Quays Restaurant, 10 – 12 Temple Bar Square, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
Four Closure Orders were served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010 on:
- Sushida (Take Away), (Closed activity: The storage, handling and preparation of sandwiches and sandwich fillings (including but not limited to preparing sandwiches, wraps, filled baguettes and other similar items and the slicing of cooked meats and cheeses), Unit 1, Malpas Court, 116 – 117 Clanbrassil Street Lower, Dublin 8
- Hokkaido (Restaurant/Café) (Closed activity: The preparation, storage and sale of sushi and associated products), 15 Main Street, Celbridge, Kildare
- Big Bite (Take Away), Main Street, Dunshaughlin, Meath
- Our Lady’s Hospital (Closed area: Kitchenette Medical Assessment Unit & Kitchenette Female Medical Ward), Athboy Road, Navan, Meath
One Prohibition Order was served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010 on:
- Miss Fit Enterprises Limited, Unit 14, Block P Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, County Dublin
During the month of January, two prosecutions were taken by the HSE in relation to:
- Mr. Kebab (Restaurant/Café), Main Street, Ballybunion, Kerry
- Ned Natterjacks (Restaurant/Café), West Main Street, Castlegregory, Kerry
Some of the reasons for the Enforcement Orders in January include:
- Rodent droppings found behind kitchen equipment
- A small rodent found dead in the kitchen of a medical assessment unit
- An active cockroach infestation where live and dead cockroaches were found
- No cleaning schedule or disinfectant available at time of inspection
- Raw chicken stored in a bowl sitting directly on top of a saucepan filled with cooked rice and next to ready-to-eat salad items
- Food storage containers dirty with evidence of black mould
- Staff hygiene practices posing a risk to food safety
- No obvious cleaning in recent times as evidenced by cobwebs, dirt, debris, stained utensils, stained equipment
- Absences of cleaning equipment and a cleaning programme
- Raw fish to be used in sushi products stored next to raw chicken in cold room
- Frozen fish defrosting at room temperature
- Evidence of rodent droppings in kitchen, storage area and staff toilet
- Rubbish stored in kitchen, dining hall, dry goods store and staff toilet
Commenting on the findings, Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive of the FSAI highlighted the need for food businesses to implement a rigorous pest control system.
“Pests and insects can pose a grave risk to human health,” said Byrne.
“Our inspectors are finding recurring incidents of filthy premises and rodent infestations in food businesses. Implementing and maintaining a pest control system is a basic requirement, and is of the highest importance for food business operators.
“They have a duty of care to their customers to serve food that is safe to eat. There is no excuse for bad practice.”
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