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SEVEN ENFORCEMENT ORDERS were served on food businesses in Ireland last month, with rodent infestations and inadequate personal hygiene among the reasons cited.
Greg Dempsey, Chief Executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), said that the enforcement orders are an important reminder that “vigilance is always required in relation to food safety”.
Four Closure Orders were issued under European Union Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation.
This includes:
On 14 February, Lams was required to close its entire premises but this order was lifted on 20 February.
The order was in place because the “level of cleanliness at the time of inspection was not acceptable” and the “business demonstrated a lack of concern regarding hygiene for an extended period of time, which cannot be tolerated”.
“You are not permitted to store raw chicken wings in previously used chip boxes,” noted the inspector.
The inspector added that “it is not acceptable to store open food directly into cardboard”.
Meanwhile, inspectors said that a void in the ceiling in the back store room was still taped up for the “issue with pigeons” and had not been “fully investigated with pest control, as previously requested”.
Day to Day was also ordered to close its entire premise on 26 February, though this was lifted on 5 March.
The order was enforced due to “evidence of an active rodent infestation” in both the rear food storage area and at the front service counter.
Rodent droppings were also found on shelving close to prepackaged foods at the time of inspection.
Elsewhere, Bombay Kebab House was ordered to close its entire premises on 18 February and this was lifted on 3 March.
This order was put in place because inspectors deemed the premises to be in an “unclean condition overall” during a visit and the equipment which comes into contact with food was also in an unclean condition.
There was also evidence of “inadequate personal hygiene” and potentially high risk, ready-to-eat foods and other cooked foods were found at potentially unsafe temperatures.
And the Closure Order that was placed upon all of Tank & Skinny’s @ Number 6 was put in place on 18 February and lifted two days later.
An inspector said that the premises was “not kept clean and maintained in good conditions” and that an “absence of a supply of hot water caused a risk of food contamination”.
Meanwhile, two Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act.
Such an order is served where it is deemed that there is or is likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health at or in the premises, or where an Improvement Order is not complied with.
Closure Orders can refer to the immediate closure of all or part of the food premises, or all or some of its activities.
Universal Food Wholesale Distribution at the National Enterprise Park in Portlaoise, Co Laois was hit with this Closure Order last month after rodent droppings were noted by an inspector around the edge of the floor of the warehouse/delivery area.
A number of gaps and holes were noted around the floor of the warehouse storage area beneath the shelving racks, which inspectors said were “obvious entry routes for mice”.
Inspectors also reported that numerous mouse carcases were found in the warehouse area which had not been removed and there were also many mouse droppings noted around the warehouse area which had not been cleaned up.
No documentation regarding pest control checks was available.
The entire premises was ordered to close as a result.
Far East restaurant, on the Ballyfermot Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10, was also hit with a Closure Order under the FSAI Act.
This order called for the entire premises to be closed but was lifted four days later, on 17 February.
Inspectors said there was a hole in the wall at the entrance to the dry goods store that needed to be sealed and remarked that the “premises as a whole requires a deep clean” once “all pest control activity has been completed”.
The inspector also called for all open food stored in open containers or in non-rodent proof containers to be destroyed.
Meanwhile, a Prohibition Order was placed on Burren Smokehouse, Kincora Road, Lisdoonvarna, Clare.
A Prohibition Order is issued if the activities involve or are likely to involve a serious risk to public health from a particular product, class, batch, or item of food.
The effect is to prohibit the sale of the product, either temporarily or permanently.
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