SIX FOOD BUSINESSES received closure orders from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) in August, it was announced today.

The orders were served last month for breaches of food safety legislation, notably the FSAI Act 1998 and European regulations.

The orders were issued by environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE).

One closure order was served under the FSAI Act 1998 on:

• The Greenery (restaurant/café), 3 Eirpage House, Donnybrook, Dublin 4

Five closure orders were served under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations 2010 on:

• Super Ketones (retailer), 76 Prospect Hill, Galway
• China City (restaurant/café), 29 Thomas Davis Street, Blackpool, Cork
• Kilkenny Kebabish (takeaway), 26 Walkin Street, Kilkenny
• New Kebabish (takeaway), 9 South Main Street, Youghal, Cork
• Celtic Pure (closed activity: production of packaged water), Corcreagh, Shercock PO, Monaghan

A live mouse was found in the kitchen at The Greenery as well as “a large amount of rodent droppings”, the inspection report noted.

In relation to Super Ketones, there were the following issues, among others:

• Dampness was noted on the wall of the staff toilet and paint was flaking off same
• The fly-screen on the window in the staff toilet was filthy
• The toilet itself was filthy as was the wash-hand basin
• Pools of water were noted on the floor throughout the rear of the shop
• The floor throughout the premises could not be maintained in a hygienic condition due to rips and tears and inadequate seals throughout the surface
• The walls and floor of the cold room were filthy, and rust was evident throughout the shelving and on the walls in the cold room
• Internal surfaces of the refrigeration units were noted in a dirty condition

China City had the below problems, among others:

• The wok station in the kitchen was full of stagnant water and old food debris
• The drainage hole of the wok station was full of old food debris
• There were large accumulations of grease, dirt and old food debris underneath the cooking equipment in the kitchen
• General dirt and old food debris was noted in the dry foods storage area
• There were cobwebs, dust, dirt and food debris noted at wall to floor junctions in the rear storage/cooling area
• The trolley that was holding a container of raw chicken in the walk in cold room had rust present on it
• The rear yard had accumulations of dirt, bags of waste, cardboard boxes and trolleys throughout leading to potential harbourage for pests

The inspection report for Kilkenny Kebabish noted that there was “no effective cleaning programme in place”, the “food preparation surfaces were dirty and sticky to the touch” and there was a buildup of grease and dirt throughout the premises.

There were a number of violations at New Kebabish, including:

• The chill hold display unit in the front preparation kitchen where perishable food was being stored had a water leak and when the door to the unit was opened water was noted spilling onto the floor
• There was no hot water supply provided for the staff toilet wash hand basin to allow staff to wash their hands hygienically after using the toilet
• The wall underneath the sink in the back kitchen area was stained with streaks of grease
• A disused oven that was being used to store food ingredients was ingrained with old food debris and grease
• The wall underneath the pipe work in the staff toilet had streaks of dirty water

At Celtic Pure, a water sample found that the presence of arsenic in spring waters exceeded the legal maximum level.

Speaking about the closure orders served in August, Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive of the FSAI, emphasised that compliance with food safety and hygiene regulations “should be of the highest priority for all food businesses”.

Filthy conditions, unhygienic practices and a lack of adequate pest control measures being in place are the main reasons for this month’s closure orders. It is essential that food businesses have a strong food safety and hygiene culture in their business, which can be achieved through ongoing training of all members of their team. Food safety inspectors are continuing to encounter basic errors being made by food businesses which are easily avoidable.

Closure orders are served on food businesses when a risk to consumer health has been identified or where there are a number of ongoing breaches of food legislation.