The Food Safety Authority of Ireland issued closure orders to seven restaurants and food providers last month, for food safety breaches.
In Dublin, Café Irie on Fownes St; The Kiosk Food Stall on St Andrew's Market, Pearse St; the Ming Court restaurant in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, and the Camden Kitchen on Grantham St were all shut.
Elsewhere, The House Pizza takeaway in Limerick's Thomondgate; Ali’s Takeaway, on the Newbridge Road, Ennis, Co Clare and Andris Stals (wholesale meat & meat products), in Kilcappa, Clonygowan, Tullamore, Co Offaly were also closed.
Five of the closure orders were served under the FSAI Act, two (Ming's Court and Ali’s Takeaway) were served under EC Regulations.
A prohibition order was also served under the FSAI Act, 1998, on Andris Stals.
FSAI chief executive Prof. Alan Reilly expressed his disappointment at what he regarded as a high number of closure orders on food businesses and warned that the legal onus is on food businesses to act responsibly and ensure that the food they serve and sell is safe for consumption.
"While most food businesses follow high standards and are compliant with food safety legislation, we continue to encounter cases where consumers’ health is jeopardised through a failure to comply with food safety and hygiene requirements," he said.
"These breaches are completely avoidable when food businesses have proper food safety management systems in place.
"We would encourage any food business operator who is unsure of what is legally required of them to contact us through either our advice line on 1890 336677, our website www.fsai.ie or our Facebook page."