Mould growth and blackened beer taps among reasons for closure orders on food businesses in April
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has reported that six Closure Orders and one Improvement Order were served on food businesses during the month of April.
The orders were issued 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 HSE environmental health officers.
One Closure Order was served under the FSAI Act 1998, on the 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, Ballyferriter, Tralee, Kerry
- Pangan Taste of Asian restaurant, Unit 1, Block B, River Village, Monksland, Athlone, Roscommon
- Dragon Chinese take away, Main Street, Dunshaughlin, Meath
- Paud O'Neill's pub, 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 included:
- Sewage and waste in the rear yard adjacent to refuse bins which risked a transfer of faecal matter to the kitchen;
- cigarette ash, butts and broken glass throughout the bar premises;
- mould growth on the internal surface of an ice making machine;
- dirty bar equipment including blackened beer taps;
- chopping boards for ready-to-eat foods worn and engrained with dirt;
- no hot running water at sinks to clean utensils;
- surfaces of all cooking equipment 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.
“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.
Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAI’s website here.
