FIVE FOOD BUSINESSES were served with closure orders by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) last month.

The closure orders concerned issues including a lack of pest prevention and control measures with rodent droppings visible in the premises, a lack of adequate labelling to facilitate traceability, undeclared allergen information, inadequate hand washing facilities and no food safety management system in place.

The five closure orders were served on:

• The Hudson Rooms (restaurant) (Closed area: Ground floor bar and indoor seating area), Unit 3 Western End Rotunda, Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, Fonthill Road North, Clondalkin, Dublin 22
• The Hudson Rooms (restaurant) (Closed area: Ground floor kitchen area, first floor bar and rear storage to ensure entire food operation has ceased), Unit 3 Western End Rotunda, Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, Fonthill Road North, Clondalkin, Dublin 22
• Apache Pizza, 37 Main Street, Blackrock, Co. Dublin
• Roma Take Away, Main Street, Portarlington, Co. Laois
• Han Lin Palace (now under new management from 18 June 2022) (restaurant), 13-15 Bridge Street, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin

The Hudson Rooms was ordered to close as there were serious concerns about the contamination of food by rodents. 

The inspector reported that there was evidence of live mice in the ground floor bar area as well as the first floor bar and rear storage areas. 

The inspector said that staff had noted they had seen rodent activity on the premises. 

Apache Pizza in Blackrock, Co Dublin, was also ordered to shut. 

The HSE inspector said there was “a grave and immediate danger” at the premises due to a “large amount of rodent activity” at the premises. 

The report stated that adequate measures had not been taken to control the pests. It was also found that “adequate measures had not been taken to disinfect surfaces where rodent activity was noted”. 

Roma Take Away in Portarlington, Laois was also served with a closure order.  

The HSE inspector said  they identfied various issues which contravened food safety legislation. 

The inspector reported the risk of contamination of foods from the storage of personal belongings including a pen-style vape kit, car keys and mobile phones being stored directly above foods that are cooling.

It was noted that food handlers demonstrated a lack of knowledge oi understanding regarding safe food temperature control requirements.

There was also no effective procedure in operation for monitoring the temperature of foods that are stored, cooked, hot-held and cooled in the food business.

Aside from that, the inspector noted: “The food business operator failed to ensure that food handlers are supervised or effectively trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activities. In particular food handlers demonstrated a lack of understanding of basic food hygiene requirements including their own personal hygiene.”

Han Lin Palace was shut due to a litany of problems detailed by the inspector. 

The HSE staff member found many of the areas of the kitchen to be unclean, the dishwasher in the kitchen was broken and that there was no soap or suitable method for hand-drying in the staff toilet.

The inspector cited the following unclean items in the kitchen: 

• The cooker
• Microwave
• Base of upright fridge
• Outlet pipe of grease trap
• Various hand touch points e.g. electrical plugs and switches; the door of cupboard in small room used for staff changing
• The toilet bowl in the staff toilet.

There was an upturned metal tin sitting on cooker coated with a thick layer of grease as well as a thick layer of grease at side of cooker between cooker and deep fat fryer.

The inspector also reported “There were food containers of vegetables, cooked chicken, cooked prawns and cooked pork uncovered in fridges. Some containers were stacked directly on top of uncovered food. Pre-cooked chips were stored uncovered at low level close to the floor. The freezer room was overstocked with numerous boxes of food stored on the floor and not on shelving.”

Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, said that it is unacceptable that staff are unaware of their responsibilities as food handlers.

She said: “Food business owners have a duty to their customers, their staff and themselves to ensure food regulations are being followed on their premises. It is not acceptable firstly that staff are not wearing appropriate protective clothing and secondly that they are unaware of the risks of possible food contamination when they do not follow such food preparation guidance.

“Staff must be properly trained and/or supervised to ensure compliance with the legal requirements and attention must be paid to the basics of good handwashing, effective cleaning and proper storage of food. These legal requirements are in place to ensure that consumers’ health is not being put at risk. Enforcement orders are not served for minor breaches and consumers have a right to safe food.”