TWO FOOD BUSINESSES were shut down in February by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) over issues such as rodent droppings and cross contamination from raw chicken. 

Businesses served with food closure orders were:

• Soma (Restaurant/Café), 23 Tuckey Street, Cork
• Twisted Dough Wicklow (Service Sector), Food stall trading at The Crescent Boyle, Roscommon

Two prohibition orders were served to:

• Bally Bia (Manufacturer), Ballydehob Community Hall, Ballydehob, Cork
• Irish Gold Venison Limited (Small Meat Manufacturing Plant), Ballinwillin House, Mitchelstown, Cork

The report for Soma in Cork city said “rodent droppings found in store room (food and non-food), in press beside boiler and behind presses in service area.”

Before reopening the premises must undergo a thorough cleaning, sterilisations and pest proofing and there must be a pest control site visit.

The order for Twisted Dough Wicklow in Boyle, Roscommon, said the nature and extent of food activities carried out in the business had changed without adequate facilities to cater for the change.

“There was an immediate risk of cross contamination due to raw chicken being prepared in the foodstall on a folding table immediately adjacent the coffee machine, where various selections of coffee were being prepared,” it said.

It added that there was a serious risk of cross contamination due to the limited workspace available and the lack of provision for the collection of contaminated liquids seeping from raw meat packaging.

The absence of running hot and cold water was also cited as a “serious” cross contamination risk. 

The prohibition order against Irish Gold Venison Limited of Mitchelstown, Co Cork, said the small meat manufacturing plant had received five five bovine carcases aged over 30 months and containing the vertebral column.

This is a ‘specified risk material’ (SRM) under regulations to prevent the spread of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, popularly known as ‘mad cow’s disease’.

The order said the premises are not approved for cutting bovine species, so there have been no official controls by Cork County Council to verify the correct removal and disposal of the risk material.

“Authorised Officers have established that SRM was not removed from four of the five carcases. Therefore, beef derived from these carcases contains SRM and has entered the human food chain,” it said.

The prohibition order against Bally Bia in Ballydehob, Co Cork, said that products were processed at an establishment which has not been approved for processing foods of animal origin.

Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI emphasised the importance of all food businesses observing rigorous food hygiene practices and ensuring that their business is notified to the relevant competent authority.

“The Enforcement Orders served in February highlight the need for all food businesses to meet their legal requirements of high standards of food safety, hygiene and pest control to prevent food contamination and protect consumer health.”

Dr Byrne added: “Consumers have a right to safe food and food businesses have a legal requirement to ensure that the food they are processing, serving or selling is safe to eat.”