THE FOOD SAFETY Authority of Ireland (FSAI) served 12 enforcement orders against a number of restaurants and food outlets in February for breaches of food safety legislation.

There were ten closure orders and two prohibition orders last month with two prosecutions also carried out against a meat manufacturer and a take away restaurant.

Among the closure orders – under Irish food safety law and European regulations – were two Chinese restaurants in Dublin and Cork with prohibition orders served against a fishmonger and a victuallers.

All of the orders are listed on the FSAI’s website with closure and improvement orders listed on the website for three months from the date of when the premises is adjudged to have corrected its food safety issue. Prohibition orders are listed for a period of one month.

“It is up to each individual food business to review their food safety procedures and ensure consumer health and safety is at the top of their agenda,” FSAI chief Alan O’Reilly said today.

“Every Enforcement Order is one too many, and each order lowers consumer confidence in not just the business involved, but for the industry as a whole.  Every business has a responsibility to have a food safety management plan in place to lessen any potential risks to their customers.”

The five Closure Orders served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:

• Amerta Chinese Restaurant, No. 1 Clifton Avenue, Monkstown, Co Dublin
• German Cakes and Snacks (restaurant), 15 Percival Street, Kanturk, Cork
• Imperial Chinese Restaurant, 3-4 The Spa, Mallow, Cork
• Asian European Foodstore, 39 Lavitt’s Quay, Cork
• At the Office Catering, 3rd Floor PCRS, Exit 5, M50 North Road, Finglas, Dublin 11

The five Closure Orders were served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010 on:

• Jimmy’s Take Away, Market Square, Mountrath, Laois
• McGovern’s Victuallers, High Street, Drumshambo, Leitrim
• Grocery food business carried out by Maria Lidia Silva da Cruz and Joao Antonio da Cruz, 10 The Steeples, Duleek, Meath
• Boody’s Chipper, Three Bullet Gate, New Ross, Wexford
• Gojinka (restaurant), Manor Mall Shopping Centre, Swords, Co Dublin

The two Prohibition Orders were served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010 on:

• Taste of the Sea (fishmonger), 1 Merchants Square, The Market, Ennis, Clare
• McGovern’s Victuallers, High Street, Drumshambo, Leitrim

Successful prosecutions were carried out by the Health Service Executive and Monaghan County Council against the Dragon Inn take away, 109 Newport Terrace, Barrack St, Waterford and Flynn’s Irish Meats, John Matthews Enterprise Centre, Clones, Co Monaghan respectively.

Read: October 2012 highest month in 10 years for enforcement orders