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Four closure orders were served on Irish food businesses during October 2022, according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
The enforcement orders were issued for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 by environmental health officers in the HSE.
Three Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
- O’Neills (public house), 2 Suffolk Street, Dublin 2 (Date served: 27/10/2022, Date lifted: 28/10/2022)
- Nico’s (take away), 289 Richmond Road, Ballybough, Dublin 3 (Date served: 26/10/2022)
- Panda Chinese Take Away, Main Street, Clogheen, Tipperary (Date served: 24/10/2022, Date lifted: 02/11/2022)
One Closure Order was served under the EU regulations on:
- Golden Beach Supermarket (Closed activities: Part of the activities of the business, its establishments, holdings or other premises be ceased, specifically the preparation and serving of food in the kitchen and service area), 137 Parnell Street, Dublin 1 (Date served: 28/10/2022)
Under the FSAI Act, a closure order is served where it is deemed that there is or there is likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health at or in the premises; or where an improvement order is not complied with.
Under the EU regulations, closure orders are served where there is non-compliance with food legislation.
Closure orders can refer to the immediate closure of all or part of the food premises, or all or some of its activities.
The orders may be lifted when the premises has improved to the satisfaction of the authorised officer.
Some of the reasons for the closure orders in October include the following:
“Evidence of cockroach activity in the food preparation area; food left to cool overnight at ambient temperatures, presenting a risk for bacterial growth; uncovered ready-to-eat food left outside and unprotected from contamination; a live rodent on the premises; rodent droppings consistent with rats found in food preparation area; pest proofing issues were spotted throughout the building, from holes around pipework, walls and ceilings to open drains in the basement; food utensils found covered in rust and also stored on the ground outside and inside; build-up of slime and greases in back yard; food storage containers unclean and embedded with dirt; failure to implement a food safety management system.”
Commenting on the closure orders, FSAI Chief Executive Dr Pamela Byrne said it was disappointing that inspectors continue to find a lack of evidence of safe cleaning practices in food businesses.
“It is a legal requirement for all food businesses to have their premises protected against pests and kept clean and yet food inspectors continue to find unacceptable levels of non-compliance with food safety legislation in some food businesses,” she said in a statement.
“There is a personal responsibility for managers and all employees to comply with food safety law at all times.
“There can be zero tolerance for negligent practices that put consumers’ health at risk and Environmental Health Officers will use the full powers available to them under food law if a food business is found to be in breach.
“Consumers have a right to safe food and food businesses have a legal requirement to ensure that the food they are processing, serving or selling is safe to eat.”
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