The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today reported that six Closure Orders and one Improvement Order were served on food businesses during the month of April 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).
One Closure Order was served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
Spicy Hut (Take Away), Main Street, Carrigart, Donegal
Five Closure Orders were served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010 on:
Freestyle Asian Restaurant, 23-24 North Main Street, Cork
Ceann Sibéal Hotel (Closed area: kitchen, outside vegetable preparation area), Ballyferriter, Tralee, Kerry
Pangan Taste of Asian (Restaurant/Café), Unit 1, Block B, River Village, Monksland, Athlone, Roscommon
Dragon Chinese take away, Main Street, Dunshaughlin, Meath
Paud O’Neills (Pub) (Closed area: music bar venue located in the back yard of the premises), Langford Street, Killorglin, Kerry
One Improvement Order was served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
Roma Take Away, Unit 3 Rathgael, Deansrath Shopping Centre, Clondalkin, Dublin 22
Some of the reasons for the Enforcement Orders in April include: Sewage and waste observed in the rear yard adjacent to refuse bins, thereby risking a transfer of faecal matter to the kitchen; cigarette ash, butts and broken glass observed throughout the bar premises; mould growth observed on the internal surface of an ice making machine; dirty bar equipment including blackened beer taps; one sink being used for the preparation of raw meat, cooked food as well as for the washing of vegetables; partially cooked chicken stored at a room temperature of 15.5°C; chopping boards for ready-to-eat foods worn and engrained with dirt; no hot running water at sinks to clean utensils; the surfaces of all cooking equipment were coated with congealed grease; and no food allergen information provided to the consumer.
Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI emphasised that some food businesses are not providing adequate regard for their customers if they are not maintaining a clean and hygienic premises.
“The Enforcement Orders served in April were mainly due to premises being found to have poor and, in some cases, very low hygiene standards in place. Some of these premises have demonstrated a complete lack of concern for the health of both their customers and their staff who eat at or work in their establishments. These inadequate food safety practices are completely unacceptable in any food business. In addition to the poor hygiene standards that were found, some premises also had no food allergen information available to the consumer which can pose a serious risk to people’s health.”
“I would remind food businesses that the legal responsibility for producing safe food lies firmly with them. It is disappointing to see that some food businesses are failing to operate stringent food safety practices to ensure that the food they are producing and selling to their customers is safe to eat,” Dr Byrne concluded.
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.
