THE FOOD SAFETY Authority ordered the closure of five food businesses over the course of January.

Some of the reasons the businesses were forced to close included evidence of rodents as well as poor cleaning practices. 

The closure orders were served on:

• The Exchange Bar, 1 Ballybricken, Waterford City, Co Waterford

The closure order stated that there was “a grave and immediate” danger relating to the hygiene of foodstuffs. 

There was also evidence of rodent activity in the bar area which the closure order said posed a risk of contamination of foodstuffs. 

The full order can be read here.

• The African Shop/Costello Stores, 87 Shandon Street, Co Cork

The closure order stated that the walls, ceiling, floors and shelving were in an extremely poor structural condition with significant amount of holes noted throughout the floor of the premises owning to large accumulations of dirt and debris throughout the entire premises which poses a grave and immediate danger to public health.

All freezers within the premises were found to have had “an extremely large build- up of ice, congealed blood, food debris and dirt which poses a grave and immediate danger to public health”.

The full order can be read here.

• Mr Kebab , 99 Lower Glanmire Road, Cork City, Co Cork

The takeaway was ordered to shut after failing on a number of cleaning and sanitation rules. The report said areas around “floor wall junctions were dirty” and that areas of a disused cold room were “filthy”. 

The inspector also found that cloths were either “dirty” or “fraying at the edges”. 

The order concluded that the “overall condition of the premises and manner of operation poses a serious risk of food contamination and presented a grace and immediate danger to public health”. 

The full order can be read here.

• T/A Londis (Closed area: external building consisting of a walk-in cold room, walk-in freezer and 3 storage areas), New Road, Bellurgan, Dundalk, Co Louth

A number of areas in this convenience store were shut down after inspectors found evidence of rodent activity in an external building which houses a walk-in cold room, a walk-in freezer and three storage areas storing food. 

The full order can be read here.

• Oriental City and Noodle House, Keen Market, Mountmellick Road, Portlaoise, Co Laois

The order against the owner stated that there was  a “failure to ensure adequate pest control and there was also a failure to keep the food premises clean and maintained and in good repair and condition. 

The full report can be found here. 

Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI highlighted the need for food businesses to maintain adequate hygiene standards in the interest of public health.

She said: “The Enforcement Orders in the first month of the year have demonstrated that inadequate hygiene practices are continuing to put consumers at unnecessary risk of falling ill.

“If you are a food business owner, it is your responsibility to comply with the law and implement adequate food safety and hygiene standards as a core part of your business. Food legislation is primarily set to protect consumers from a variety of threats such as pest infestation and food contamination by dangerous bacteria.

There is no justification for any food business to not fully implement all applicable food legislation. It is wholly unacceptable that there continues to be some food businesses who are failing to have the right food safety management systems in place to ensure the food they serve to their customers is safe to eat.